The Contributions Of Descartes And Hume - 3394 Words

The contributions of Descartes and Hume towards the issue of establishing: the existence of God Introduction: Arguments for and against the existence of god have been proposed by philosophers, theologians, scientists and others for thousands of years. In Philosophy, these arguments involve primarily the disciplines of Epistemology and Ontology and can be categorized as metaphysical, logical, empirical, or subjective. The epistemic arguments place different restrictions on our ability have knowledge, some arguing for conditions that allow the possibility for one to have knowledge of God, and hence, prove his existence, others placing restrictions on our knowledge, hence arguing that it’s not possible to have knowledge of god therefore proving he cannot exist. The most prominent of these arguments for/against the existence of god can be separated into four types. Firstly, the ‘cosmological arguments’ which explain the existence of the universe in reference to a being on whom all else depends for it’s existence (Routledge, 2000, p.758). Secondly, there are the ‘teleological arguments’ also known as the ‘arguments from design’, that posit an intelligent creator/designer of the physical world. Third, the ‘ontological arguments’ which concentrate on the idea of a perfect being that it is illogical to deny that such a being exists (Routledge, 2000, p.758). Last are ‘moral arguments’ for the existence of god, which argue that- if God does not exist, objective moral values don’tShow MoreRelatedRene Descartes And Kant1013 Words   |  5 Pagesstudying, a common theme present amongst Renà © Descartes, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant is the fact that all three philosopher s challenged the traditional ways of thinking about philosophy respective to their eras. In certain aspects, all three of these philosophers also grappled with understanding, discovering, and logically explaining the power of the mind to shape whole truths. From Descartes’ foundational work with methodological doubt to Kant’s contribution to previous philosophical concepts such asRead MoreEssay about Rationalism and Empiricism1486 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophers of epistemology are Rene Descartes and David Hume, the former being a rationalist, and the latter an empiricist. In this paper I will attempt to give an understanding of both rationalism and empiricism, show the ideas and contributions each of the men made to their respective schools, and hopefully give my personal reasoning why one is more true than the other. Rationalism was developed by several important philosophers all around the 17th century. Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibnitz are allRead MoreDavid Hume And Renee Descartes s Theories Of Knowledge And Ideas1356 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophers David Hume and Renee Descartes have opposing views about the origination of ideas. Hume claims that all ideas are copies of impressions, which come from sensation. Descartes disagrees with this, arguing that in order to obtain knowledge, there must be a rational method for obtaining it, and that the senses are not a reliable source. This essay will present both philosopher’s arguments and compare and contrast each perspective regarding matters of knowledge and ideas. I will then argueRead MoreKant vs Aristotle1314 Words   |  6 Pagesexistence and the material world. Through these individual theories I will show how each fits into the category of either Rationalist or Imperialist. The Plutonian philosophers to be discussed will includ e Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz. And the Aristotelian philosophers will include Locke, Berkeley and Hume. Plato, a philosopher of the 17th century, contended that Opinion at its best is a matter of probability, and knowledge at its least is entirely sure (Lamprecht, 1955, p. 43) For Plato, knowledgeRead MoreEssay about Discuss How Psychology Developed as a Scientific Discipline1127 Words   |  5 Pagespsychology as a science is Renà © Descartes; a French philosopher and mathematician. Descartes was most influential in his recognition of the body and mind being two separate entities. Descartes differed from other philosophers in his proposal of dualism as he recognised that there is interaction between mind and matter, which was key in the development of psychology as a science as it lead to two principles in psychology: introspectionism and behaviourism. Whilst Descartes emphasised rationalism, JohnRead MoreHume and Knowledge Creation766 Words   |  3 PagesHume and knowledge creation The dominant work by Hume was his A Treatise of Human Nature, in this work he attempted to construct a science of man that contrasted with the ideas of Descartes and other enlightenment thinkers. The pillar of Humes divergence was anchoring knowledge in empiricism rather than rationality. Hume argued that desire instead of rationality was the foundation of human nature. This essential departure from his peers is important to understanding the work of Hume. In thisRead MoreThe Philosophers Who Contrubuted to the Development of Behaviorism891 Words   |  4 Pagesteacher of sorts. Descartes (1596-1650) was taken with Plato’s rationalism, as well as his views on dualism. The idea that the mind and body interacted with one another led to his own thoughts on how they might be structured, placing the body as subservient to the mind. This intern led Descartes to develop his famous declaration, â€Å"I think therefore I am.† This idea further propelled future thinkers to examine the separation of mind and body. Hobbes (1588-1679) rejected much of Descartes’ work, most especiallyRead MoreWhy Psychology Is Important For Mental Health Professionals2300 Words   |  10 Pageshoped that our contributions today will benefit the people of tomorrow. Contributions of Descartes, Locke and Hume to Psychology Rene Descartes Rene Descartes lived in the early 17th century near the end of the Renaissance era (Goodwin, 2015). According to Goodwin (2015), Descartes seemed to be more of a scientist than a philosopher in his younger years. He was not satisfied with accepting the unchallenged truth of others and he was committed to finding things out for himself. Descartes wrote his DiscourseRead MoreHistory of Modern Psychology Essay754 Words   |  4 Pagesat the present time. Many philosophers can be credited to the development of this science. Starting in the early 18th and 19th centuries philosophers such as Rene’ Descartes and John Locke opened the world of what we know as psychology today. The British empiricists also contributed to psychology. Some of these men include David Hume and David Hartley. Psychology has a long past, yet its real history is short. –Hermann Ebbinghaus 1908 Key Issues in Psychology’s History A psychologist/historianRead MoreModern Psychology : The Scientific Study Of Mind And Behaviour1637 Words   |  7 Pagesnext philosopher to make a contribution that would have an impact on the emergence of modern psychology was the French philosopher, mathematician and scientist, Rene Descartes. His contribution has seen him labelled by some as the founder of modern psychology (Prado, 2009). During the 17TH century under the encouragement of Descartes, one of the most influential rationalists of this period, interactions of the body and mind provoked multitudinous debates. Descartes accepted dualism, the metaphysical