tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2437987686174727459.post5012560056488963713..comments2024-02-25T16:48:11.313-05:00Comments on PSYCHOSCAPES: Descartes' Dictum: The basic flaw in Western civilization?psychos capeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02263194606464893181noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2437987686174727459.post-32430744767517491802021-08-10T11:41:25.664-04:002021-08-10T11:41:25.664-04:00Descartes was concerned with the question: "w...Descartes was concerned with the question: "what can be known with absolute certainty?" not with the relative value of creatures with differing degrees of sentience. To interpret his dictum as saying that rational thought is most important or most valuable is to misconstrue his argument.<br /><br />Descartes wondered if there was anything that could be known with absolute certainty and imagined a hypothetical world in which an omnipotent deceiver tried to interfere with his ability to know accurate information about the world. In this world Descartes would have to doubt everything, but in order to doubt he has to be able to think, but in order to be able to think he has to exist. And because the fact that he is thinking necessarily entails that he exists, the fact of one's own existence cannot be doubted / is absolutely certain. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com