Dream Argument Essay - 893 Words

Jacob Sebert November 13, 2013 Descartes Dream Theory Descartes arguments in meditation I can be proven wrong through discrepancies and contradictions. Authors Peter Simpson and Ludwig Wittgensteins have similar points on skepticism where they have found specific inconsistencies. When primarily looking at Descartes’ dream argument we can see a contradiction in his statements. He sets out to demonstrate the similarity between â€Å"waking† and â€Å"dreaming†. His intention was to prove that there is no difference between the two, and that we could be seeing false deceptions and or possibly hallucinating. Therefore there would be no way to prove the differences between â€Å"dreaming† and â€Å"waking†. But when looking at his arguments there are a few†¦show more content†¦If there are no differences, then he has no choice but to conclude the fact that we could also always be awake. This still follows Descartes’ argument because it means that dreaming and waking are the same and have no difference. He assumes we are always dreaming and everything we experience is false delusion. Assuming that we are just dreaming is inconsistent with the first part of his argument, that dreaming and waking are the same. How can we believe they are identical when at the same time he wants us to assume we are only dreaming? Descartes’ dream argument states that there are no differences between dreaming and being awake, which means there is no way of knowing if we are ever awake or dreaming. This is why he says we could always be in a dream. This means that everything we sense may not be real, just false perception of reality. The things we see in our dreams are stored in our mind. This helps Descartes determine what real knowledge is. He says that there is no way of proving that we are â€Å"dreaming† or â€Å"sleeping†. â€Å"There are no certain indications by which we may clearly distinguish wakefulness from sleep†. He then explains the experiences of reality and dreaming: â€Å"I am now here, sitting by the fire, wrapped in a warm winter gown, handling this paper, and suchlike. Indeed, that these hands themselves, and this body are mine.† (First Meditation, Page 14-15, SEC. 18-19) He explains his experiences in lucid dreamsShow MoreRelatedThomas Descartes s Dream Argument And The Dream Paradox 2319 Words   |  10 PagesDescartes famously presented his ‘dream argument’ or ‘dream paradox’ in which he questions how we can distinguish between dreams and waking life. In this essay, I will explore various responses to the argument such as Hobbes and Locke and how I think Descartes would dismiss these arguments. I will finally present my own criticism alongsi de the work of Austin, Simpson and Ryle in order to illustrate the inconsistency of Descartes claims. In order to deconstruct the dream paradox I will appeal to one ofRead MoreThe Dream Argument by Rene Descartes Essay1008 Words   |  5 Pagesfamous arguments, from his not only from his first meditation but all of the meditations, is his Dream Argument. Descartes believes that there is no way to be able to distinguish being in awake from being in a state of dreaming. In fact you could actually be in a dream right now. Rene Descartes’s theory that one is unable distinguish being awake from dreaming, as interesting as it is, can be at times a little farfetched, along with a few contradictions to himself, Descartes’s dream argument does notRead MoreCritique of Descartes Dream Argument Essay examples1527 Words   |  7 PagesSara Logan McKitrick Philosophy 101 14 November 2008 Critique of Descartes’ Dream Argument Descartes has written a set of six meditations on the first philosophy. In these meditations he analyzes his beliefs and questions where those beliefs were derived from. The first mediation of Descartes discusses his skeptical hypotheses; questioning the validity of the influences of his knowledge. He has a few main goals that are expressed through the first meditation. First off, Descartes wantsRead MoreEssay on Descartes Dream Argument - Philosophy1406 Words   |  6 Pagesdo we know we are not dreaming some particular experience we are having, or we are not dreaming all our experience of this world? When we dream we imagine things happening often with the same sense of reality as we do when we are awake. In Descartes dream argument, he states there are no reliable signs distinguishing sleeping from waking. In his dream argument, he is not saying we are merely dreaming all of what we experience, nor, is he saying we can distinguish dreaming from being awake. I thinkRead M oreWhere Sweatshops Are a Dream917 Words   |  4 PagesAre A Dream† In his New York Times opinion column, â€Å"Where Sweatshops Are a Dream†, writer Nicholas D. Kristof uses his experience living in East Asia to argue his positive outlook on sweatshops. 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After he matured, realized his wrongs, and appealed his sentence as cruel and unusualRead MoreThe Dreaming Argument And The Evil Demon Argument1271 Words   |  6 Pagesknowledge and skepticism to establish two main arguments, the dreaming argument and the evil demon argument. The dreaming argument suggests that it is not possible to distinguish between having a waking experience and dreaming an experience. Whereas, the evil demon argument suggests that we are deceived in all areas of our experiences by an evil demon. This essay will investigate the validity of the arguments and to what extent the conclusion of these arguments is true. The soundness and the extent toRead MoreDescartesMeditations, To What Extent Are We Able To Distinguish Between Reality And Illusion1482 Words   |  6 Pagesform a seemingly self-evident argument against scepticism. Indeed, although his arguments at first appear to be somewhat convincing, particularly those that defend the s cepticism he is attempting to devalue, upon greater evaluation, those that begin to assert our ability to distinguish reality from illusion, lack application of the rigorous method of scrutiny that he had previously set out to apply. Consequently, I would argue that the real downfall of Descartes’ argument lies within his latter attemptsRead MoreDescartes First Meditations By Rene Descartes1352 Words   |  6 PagesRenà © Descartes’ First Meditations, he introduces three main sceptical arguments for the possibility of doubt: illusion, dreaming and error. Descartes’ purpose in his First Meditations is to define knowledge by placing doubt on the sceptical arguments capacity to provide truth. In this essay, I will focus on the argument from dreaming. There are many objections against the argument; therefore I will assess the soundness of the argument and whether it establishes universal doubt based on the plausibilityRead MoreThe On First Philosophy By Rene Des cartes1699 Words   |  7 Pagesforget that everything he writes is based on the shaky foundation of the Christian God, and finds his later points less valid. We must look at Descartes’ argument in detail in order to establish why it is flawed and insufficient and thus undermines the rest of his project. His main argument for the existence of God is the so-called â€Å"causal argument.† He begins this train of thought by saying â€Å"because I am a thinking thing and have within me a certain idea of God, it must be granted that what caused