Wax Argument In Rene Descartes 'Meditation Two'
Paul Sutton
Professor Pakaluk
Philosophy 313 Descartes Wax Argument In Meditation 2, Rene Descartes finds his existence in that he thinks, and that his essence is that he is a thinking thing. In only being a thinking thing, Descartes states that his mind is distinct and more real to him than his body (even if he has a body). Unlike the Aristotelian belief in which the mind and body are connected, Descartes now aims to show that it is not through his body, his senses, and his imagination that he knows with most distinctness, but it is his mind alone. Descartes needs to discover that nothing is more clearly apprehended than his own mind. By showing that even in bodies or corporal properties, where it seems that his senses more easily …show more content…
I do not understand the wax by imagination xi. Because I still know and perceive the wax, and since I can not know it by either my imagination or my senses, I must know and perceive it through my mind alone. xii. Conclusion: Since I properly perceived and understand the body of wax, not by my senses or imagination but my mind alone, I conclude that there is nothing more clearly or easily apprehended than my own mind.
In looking through this argument put forth by Descartes, the conclusion logically follows from the previous stated premises, so the validity is in tact. However, the soundness of the argument can be called into question. Premise #7 can be challenged, stating that one can’t possible know that the wax before was the same wax without witnessing the change through sight, feel, smell. Descartes states that senses deceive and they could deceive him into believing it was not wax if he understood it by senses.
Counterargument- Without perceiving the senses change the shape of the wax, the melted wax would not be discernable to me as the same wax.
Response- Senses deceive, if I relied on my senses to perceive and understand the wax, I would have known the wax as a flexible, extendable shape, not the same piece of
Professor Pakaluk
Philosophy 313 Descartes Wax Argument In Meditation 2, Rene Descartes finds his existence in that he thinks, and that his essence is that he is a thinking thing. In only being a thinking thing, Descartes states that his mind is distinct and more real to him than his body (even if he has a body). Unlike the Aristotelian belief in which the mind and body are connected, Descartes now aims to show that it is not through his body, his senses, and his imagination that he knows with most distinctness, but it is his mind alone. Descartes needs to discover that nothing is more clearly apprehended than his own mind. By showing that even in bodies or corporal properties, where it seems that his senses more easily …show more content…
I do not understand the wax by imagination xi. Because I still know and perceive the wax, and since I can not know it by either my imagination or my senses, I must know and perceive it through my mind alone. xii. Conclusion: Since I properly perceived and understand the body of wax, not by my senses or imagination but my mind alone, I conclude that there is nothing more clearly or easily apprehended than my own mind.
In looking through this argument put forth by Descartes, the conclusion logically follows from the previous stated premises, so the validity is in tact. However, the soundness of the argument can be called into question. Premise #7 can be challenged, stating that one can’t possible know that the wax before was the same wax without witnessing the change through sight, feel, smell. Descartes states that senses deceive and they could deceive him into believing it was not wax if he understood it by senses.
Counterargument- Without perceiving the senses change the shape of the wax, the melted wax would not be discernable to me as the same wax.
Response- Senses deceive, if I relied on my senses to perceive and understand the wax, I would have known the wax as a flexible, extendable shape, not the same piece of