Descartes is most famous for his promotion of the Cartesian dualism. However there are many alluring subjects that arises during his meditations, and the problem of other minds is one of them. This essay will answer the question how does Descartes arrive at the problem of other minds in the second mediation, and does he offer an adequate solution to it. This essay will be separated into two sections, the first section will comment on how Descartes uses the method of doubt to arrive at the problem of other minds. The second will analyze Descartes ' solution and evaluate its adequacy.
Descartes has established his method of doubt in the first meditation. He realizes there were a lot of faults in his previous beliefs. Therefore he seeks a method …show more content…
We would not know whether there is a soul in the body or not.
However, Descartes, through the second meditation, has demonstrated that the wax is recognized not through the senses or imagination but the mind alone. And in meditation four he uses god as a foundation to prove that material objects exists. Saying that God is no deceiver and therefore objects that God create - the world, would never deceive. And thus they exist. Descartes produces an explanation of the deception he has experienced in the past. Claiming it’s his fault because of his misuse of god’s gift, allowing the will to extend beyond the intellect.
So under these rules, Descartes has provided a method to examine the problem. Other human beings as well as wax can be examined in the same way. Human beings can be observed, touched, heard, spoken to and are perceived through our senses. And it is through the senses that allows us communicate and observe others, which help us grasp the soul of other humans, we can then start to understand how other human beings react to the world. Then compare it to own experiences to have a judgment, a conclusion on whether they are humans or
Descartes has established his method of doubt in the first meditation. He realizes there were a lot of faults in his previous beliefs. Therefore he seeks a method …show more content…
We would not know whether there is a soul in the body or not.
However, Descartes, through the second meditation, has demonstrated that the wax is recognized not through the senses or imagination but the mind alone. And in meditation four he uses god as a foundation to prove that material objects exists. Saying that God is no deceiver and therefore objects that God create - the world, would never deceive. And thus they exist. Descartes produces an explanation of the deception he has experienced in the past. Claiming it’s his fault because of his misuse of god’s gift, allowing the will to extend beyond the intellect.
So under these rules, Descartes has provided a method to examine the problem. Other human beings as well as wax can be examined in the same way. Human beings can be observed, touched, heard, spoken to and are perceived through our senses. And it is through the senses that allows us communicate and observe others, which help us grasp the soul of other humans, we can then start to understand how other human beings react to the world. Then compare it to own experiences to have a judgment, a conclusion on whether they are humans or