Chris:
Let's review what I wrote. The skpeis is a method, one that reveals truths, but the only truths that can be valid enough to sustain proper philosophical rigor are mathematical and geometrical. Descartes sees the world as a mass machine who's movement, and life work like clockwork, mechanistic world, Porpelling all things in it. The Universe as a universal totality can only be given to us "the rational-animals" provoding 2 things. First we use our reason in accordance, with the fundamental activity which reveals a method. Everyone can reason, lack of reasoning just means one is not reaching to their full potential. Reasoning or the ability to reason means we can consciously think, or produce ideas, but the validity of these ideas unless falsifiable, are to be challeneged. However we can not question whether 2+2=4 these are mathematical truths. 2+2 will always equal four in an infinite number of worlds planets and dimensions, hense in order to reach a demonstrable theory or science one needs to align a theory of knowledge with principles that cannot be challenged or proven to be false. Did caesar cross the rubicon? perhaps but 2+2=4 cannot be argued if one can reason, and one can deduce these mathematical truths then this process leads to the very important observation that the invidual is thinking them. If we give Descartes the benefit of the doubt through the Skepsis what we see is a perfect schema of his geometrical system God represents a perfection a infinite universe, one that is held in the plane of all mathematical truths, an inperfection like an evil genious to deceive the universe or Humans, will debunk the universality of the universe, and mathematical truths, hense Descartes in sensing that perhaps i am being deceived I am thinking, but let's scrap the idea of being deceived if he is reasoning at all, geometrically or mathematically then the I that his him must be thining even if their is such a notion of an demon that decived him, Descartes is still among the universe, and is still using a flawsless system, no matter how circular it is. Circularity is erlevent, what is relevent is this
2+2=4 This is true based on mathematical truths.
the universe as an infinite totality isa part of this mathematical system making it's truth-value system demonstrable
hense Descartes who thinks these thought through his reasoning or my concept of the "skepsis" is logically fulfilling his prinicple of putting his reason to the test.
Perfection=the universe, hense nothing imperfect could exist or the universe would shatter, hense we would all not exist, ergo, a thing that things that postulates through mathematical principles or axiomatics, has proven a method and a system based on the bigger picture the universe. God represents the universe, and Descartes using the geometrical system can delve his way through finding the princples of the Universe!!!! this is an elboration without the poetic Jargon for anyone whom find my last post incrediably hard to read!!!
Avinaash:
A problem I see with Descartes' system and trust of reason is that he doesn't quite put the value of truth into question. His method of doubt puts to the test all that is possibly dubitable. Now, the interesting thing in my opinion is that Descartes' method of doubt has already selected what can be doubted from what is undubitable, I.e. beyond doubt. By that I mean that because Descartes' method follows the pattern of reason, the only thing it won't be able to doubt is reason. In other words, reason has set up the method of doubt to prove everything to be dubitable apart from reason itself. Descartes creates a sort of Tribunal of Reason, where reason judges all things and finds them guilty of not passing the test of certainty of reason itself.
Descartes says that he cannot doubt that 1 + 1 = 2. He is right. It is absurd to believe that it cannot be the case that 1 + 1 = 2; after all, he has proven his case pretty well.
One possible description of mathematics is to say that it is a system of proportions and relations. This has for direct consequence that the object of mathematic has to be able to be put into proportions and relations. An example would be fit here.
I've read somewhere that it is possible to doubt that 1 + 1 = 2 since when adding two drops of water we obtain a singularity, in other terms, for water, 1 + 1 = 1.
But we have not defeated mathematics by saying so because mathematics is a system of proportions and relations. A drop of water is a proportion, i.e. it is measurable. Let's assume in this case that a drop of water is a measure of 1 ml. Then, the ability of the drop of water to be measured means that the drop of water can enter into a mathematical relation. Our example is completely transformed and expresses its mathematical nature because 1 ml + 1 ml = 2 ml.
The point is that mathematics is a system of proportions and relations that is applied to a symptom. The word symptom here merely suggests natural manifestations.
Descartes’ philosophy is an attempt at imposing a system of proportions and relations on symptoms, and the belief that this system will reveal the absolutely true nature of that symptom.
But one question remains to be asked, to what extent does mathematics trully reveals the symptom? In other words, what is the truth value of mathematics? Does the mathematical method reveal the true aspect of its subject of study? After all, since mathematics is a system of proportions and relations, all it demonstrate are differences in degree, not differences in kind.
All symptoms are both differences in degree and differences in kind, that are subject to interpretation. Mathematics interprets differences in degree but cannot say anything about differences in kind, therefore preventing the seeker of truth to have access to the true nature of that symptom… the true nature of the world.
This is Nietzsche’s main critique against the method of reason.
Chris:
Let us invent a word here the 'Skepsis' i am inventing this word because Descartes isn't clearly a skeptic from a pyyhrhonian point of view he seems like a reversal of a pyyrhonian, there-fore i placed skeptical and anaylisis together to form what i think Descartes is doing. His method is a 'skepsis' a skeptical anaylisis of the world around him, this skepsis can change as more information is gathered but this method is a way of disclosing the world through mathematical and geometrical truths. One sees light as a luminosity bringing it's life into a room bouncing off all walls expressing a totality of truths...Descartes sees the world and the universe in this 'skepsis' or luminosity like light boucning of all the walls the universe is like a machine that moves like clockwork. If our senses cannot be trusted and only mathematical truths can be verifed, how does one in the cartesian sense disclose the world of being? the skeptical analysis or 'skepsis' is that proceduare..keep in mind this is my own concept which i am using to bring to light Descartes method perhaps even explain descartes a little more clearer while giving him the benefit of the doubt.. The skeptical anaylisis is Descartes ploy to prrove that mathematical truth can reveal that he exists. for him to even think of mathematics there must be an I or individual that thinks the process in some place...let's not call it a mind let's call it a plane...on the plane of consistency there is a moment were the very being of descartes thinks of 2+3=5 meaning that Descartes as a being must think these truths but where? Somewhere in the universe or all over this plane of consistency 2+3=5 everywhere this is validation he must use to prove his existence.. this attributed to the mind..... the mind is what consciously absorbed these truths or these so called valid truths. But how and when did they get there?
the evil genious is this "skepsis" or skeptical anaylsis, if an evil genious is decieving me how can i be sure of the world around me, in fact the argument is circular and his answer is circular, but it's circulairty is a Hermeneutical circle meaning - an intrepretation of meaning and validity of a concecpt in it's place- it no longer matters that it's circulairty is appearent, what matters is it's ontological presence or it's thinking in rigourous terms. If there is an evil genious and he is deceiving me the septical anaylisis or the 'skepsis' prooves to Descartes that he might be decieved but in order to be deceived he must be thinking and alive in order to be deceived!!! If we take his argument of God and replace God with a universal mathemtical totality and call it perfection which i think Descartes is imploying then there is no demon a world that is made up or built on mathematical truths is a perfection...perfection=the universe therefore everything that is contained in the universe is perfect this negates the demon...and the circularity, what it does, is represents the skepsis as a i think therefore i am. the cogito now reads as follow "I am a being - a perfect being in matheimatical universe...one that expresses his very being in thought.
by explaining that humans are rational animals, humans as a species pick up a triat thinking. therefore thinking is aligned with being, in the parmedian sense thinking=being, being =thinking i am I exist among the world, which have laws that are represnted in a geometrical equation whose mathematical princples can never be doubted!!! the skepsis reveals that descartes circularity is purposiveful to disclose relative truth that are impinged on the world. the pointing the finger trick!!!! God would not want to decieve descartes how could there be such a concept as an evil genious in a perfect mathematical universe, there couldn't hense descartes is an existent, with the triat of thinking, the universe is held together by it's pyhjsical laws and mathematical truths and descartes Cogito represents the first primordial comprehension of being and thinking and existing in the universe.....
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