ThePhilosophyCenter: Rationalism #1

 Hello!

Today we will begin a 3-part series regarding rationalism. 

Rationalism was a major school of thought in the Enlightenment era that opposed the other major philosophy, Empiricism. Rationalism has three philosophers we will cover, the first of which being Descartes. 


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CHARACTER PROFILE: RENE DESCARTES

Born: 1596, France.

Died: 1650, Essex, United Kingdom, aged 53.

Works: Meditations on First Philosophy etc.

Ideas: Rationalism, Dualism

Text Intro: Rene Descartes was a French rationalist philosopher best known for the belief "I think, therefore I am". He also was a mathematician and scientist. 

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He believed that there were eternal truths that are always correct and do not need sensing to know. However, there were some truths he said did need some empirical basis, accompanied by the scientific method. These eternal truths include mathematical ones such as 2+2=4, etc.

The statement "I think, therefore I am" implies that if we have the abillity to think, especially about our own existence, we exist. This implies we can, to an extent, know without empirical/sensual evidence/basis. 

Descartes also believed in something known as Cartesian dualism. Cartesian dualism believes the mind and body are distinct things, rather than the Physicalist (Physicalism is a view thinking that everything is physical, including the mind, and thus there is no supernatural) view. 

While Christians are definitely more dualist than physicalist (specifically substance dualism, meaning mind and body is even of different substance), our "epistemology" should be best based on Scripture as an ultimate source.



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