Descartes treats the absence of understanding as the result of our perception and that dreams are potentially made of the same content. ... " (The Philosophical Writings of Descartes). ... "I believe he [Descartes] will allow a very manifest difference between dreaming of being in the Fire, and being actually in it.... Disproving Locke has allowed for Descartes dream argument to continue puzzling many who attempt to disprove it. ... Rene Descartes argument is indeed pleasant to read, and many have attempted to disprove this claim, and I invite any and all to read. ...

• Word Count: 1205
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Descartes and his meditations are in search of the answer to this question and he takes on a rational and skeptical mindset to find the answers. In Descartes first mediation, he introduces the idea that a malignant demon" may be intentionally misleading him or that he may be dreaming, but either way he is imagining or sensing. ... Sounds almost identical to Descartes but he puts his thumb-print on the idea as he introduces the idea of "tabula rasa". ... He is a little less extreme than Descartes. Descartes concluded in his meditations that he could not acquire knowledge through sensation b...

• Word Count: 1082
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

In an apparent response to Descartes" work, John Locke wrote a series of considerations concerning how we perceive the nature of our world. In Descartes" fifth mediation, he discusses the nature of an object, and the properties that it can posses. From Descartes" arguments, it seems that he is trying to form the bulk of his argument to support a belief that objects in the physical world are the cause of most ideas, and there is a necessary link that must exist between the mind and the world that cannot be fooled. ... Looking at the world, he agrees with Descartes that objects do indeed crea...

• Word Count: 596
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

In the 17th century, philosophers René Descartes and John Locke challenged the idea of knowledge and its origin. ... Descartes, however, argued that knowledge depends on absolute certainty which can only be obtained through innate ideas. ... In Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes argues that ideas such as infinity and God encompass more formal reality than do finite humans. ... This is Descartes' strongest argument by far, as he is claiming that finite beings (such as ourselves) cannot create the idea of an infinite being or idea out of thin air. ...

• Word Count: 664
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• Grade Level: High School

The nature versus nurture controversy has been argued for centuries. Some of the earliest arguments posed for either side were posed by philosophers such as Plato, Renee Descartes and John Locke. These arguments have been continued by modern scientists and psychologists. Argum...

• Word Count: 480
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

John Locke was born on August 29, 1632, near Bristol, England. His father was a successful small landowner and attorney in western England. Locke was growing up during the English Civil War, in which Parliamentary forces battled King Charles I over matters of taxation, political power, and true r...

• Word Count: 927
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

The debate concerning nature versus nurture is among the oldest in the field of psychology. It revolves around the relative input of environmental and genetic factors in human development. While some scientists hold that an individual's personality is determined by genetic predilections (nature), ot...

• Word Count: 566
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Throughout history there have been many great philosophers. Aristotle, Plato, Confucius and Descartes are some names that come up when talking about famous philosophers. John Locke, who was born in 17th century England, was a philosopher and physician and to this day is regarded as one of the most i...

• Word Count: 863
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate