Every individual has a different way of living life, enjoying life, and viewing life. How they live their lives are based on the philosophical idea of existence. There are three texts from Seminar that give insight for the possibilities of existence: Elements by Euclid, On the Nature of the Universe by Lucretius, and Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. In Elements, it explains how one can use reason in order to find the truth of what can exist. This text proves one characteristic of existence, the possible existence. In On the Nature of the Universe, by Lucretius, he discusses matter, space, movements, and the shape of atoms solely from what he could observe. This text shows the physical/actual existence. Meditations is a journal by Marcus Aurelius …show more content…
This characteristic of existence gives objects the ability to affect or cause an event. In On the Nature of the Universe, Lucretius describes objects that couldn’t be seen back then solely through the power of observation. The ideas that Lucretius discusses are now mostly found to be true. For example, “...things are not hemmed in by the pressure of solid bodies in a tight mass. This is because there is vacuity in things” (Lucretius 44). Lucretius discusses the vacuity, by definition is the “intangible and empty space” (44), which exists because if “it did not exist, things could not move at all” (44). For example, if water was solid, nothing would be able to move through it. In fact, we would be affixed to the water and unable to move ― like being trapped in ice ― but because water is not a solid, we are able to move through it and the space that we leave behind after we move, is filled by water. Lucretius was able to gain this knowledge by observing the natural world and determining the reasons why the natural world acts the way it does. Just like the way he speculated the existence “of bodies whose existence you must acknowledge though they cannot be seen” (43). Here, Lucretius is referring to atoms, which are not visible to the naked eye. Even though they are not visible to the eye, he is able to observe physical objects to …show more content…
In the book of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius discusses what he thinks the nature of existence is through past knowledge and reason that he has gained. He states that “things cannot touch the mind” and that “anxieties can only come from your internal judgment” (Aurelius 77). The consciousness allows the recognition of our internal judgment and of the world. To recognize that the “universe is change: life is judgment” (77), one must recognize what happens in the universe, “If one who does not recognize the contents of the universe is a stranger in it … if he shuts the eye of the mind .. and does not possess within him all he needs for life; a tumour on the universe” (80). One must recognize that the universe is doing what it does and that every individual has a nature that they need to be in line with, and if they are not, this causes the universe to break and one to become a “tumour” to the universe. The consciousness is what allows humans to exist. Without a consciousness, we would become mindless dolls. Realizing that life is a judgment of our mind, is how we recognize that we are rational beings, and develop and grow into good and virtuous beings. Such as when, Marcus Aurelius mentions “When someone does you wrong, do not judge things as he interprets them or would like you to interpret them. Just see them as they are, in plain truth” (78). The human mind is what allows us to alter the
Descartes, René. "Meditation Three." Descartes, René. Meditations on First Philosophy. Trans. Donald A. Cress. Third Edition. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 1993. 24-35. Paperback.
In Rene Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes does and experiment with wax to try to prove that things actually exist in this world. This essay is going to prove how we can tell that things actually exist and what can perceive the wax.
At the end of Being and Nothingness,Jean-Paul Sartre concedes that he has not overcome one of the key objections to existentialism viz., an outline of ethics, and states that he will do so later. Although Sartre attempted the project of an existential ethics, it was never quite completed. Enter Simone De Beauvoir. In this book, De Beauvoir picks up where Sartre has left us, refusing to answer the question of ethics. For De Beauvoir, human nature involves and ontological ambiguity whose finitude is bound in a duality. This duality of body and consciousness is the ambiguity which remakes nature the way we want it to be as a facticity of transcendence. It is within this understanding that the project of ethics must begin in ambiguity. However,
A man whose ideas and perceptions of his time shocked many and he is considered the father of modern philosophy. His views and understanding of the world could be seen to many as radical, as he set out to understand himself and the nature of ideas and existence. His goal in writing the Meditations on First Philosophy written in 1641 was to show the clarity and distinction of ideas through the existence and immortality of God. This man, named Rene Descartes, had to place himself in the shoes of doubt, seen in meditation I. His doubts consisted of the senses in their original distinction such as a square book or a soft blanket and senses in seemingly apparent distinction which Descartes argues about when one dreams. He states that even the most vivid senses in our dreams could be subject to doubt.
“We owe the notion of “the mind” as a separate entity in which “processes” occur to the same period, and especially to Descartes” (Rorty, 2008, p. 234). Plato was the first philosopher to argue that there was something beyond our body. Descartes agree with Plato on this theory and explored this idea more in-depth. Stating that these innate ideas exist, but they remain idle in our minds until a significant event awakens them. He arrived at this idea by doubting everything that he was taught was the truth, and he even doubted his own sense saying that they were deceptive, and after using philosophy of doubt he came to the realization of his existence through the logical reasoning. After he established that his senses were not real, he began to doubt his brain, he stated that our dreams are an interpretation of reality, even though they seem so real. He says that it was only thr...
According to Descartes, the essence of material substance is simply extension, the property of filling up space. (Med. V) So solid geometry, which describes the possibility of dividing an otherwise uniform space into distinct parts, is a complete guide to the essence of body. It follows that there can be in reality only one extended substance, comprising all matter in a single spatial whole. From this, Descartes concluded that individual bodies are merely modes of the one extended being, that there can be no space void of extension, and that all motion must proceed by circular vortex. Thus, again, the true nature of bodies is understood by pure thought, without any information from the senses.
our existence in reality is a question which philosophers have tackled throughout time. This essay will look at the
In order to understand the meaning of existence in relation to philosophy, we need to discuss its ordinary meaning and the various levels of existence. The Chambers Concise Dictionary (1992, 362) defines ‘exist’ as having an actual being; to live; to occur; to continue to live’ and it defines existence as ‘the state of existing or being’. In other words, the Dictionary does not make a distinction between existence and living. However, philosophically there is the view that existence is different from living. What then is the meaning of existence in philosophy? In order to answer this question we shall examine how philosophers have used the term in their various works. Our attention shall focus on Plato and Sartre.
Throughout “Mediations I and II”, Descartes disputes definitions of reality and identity, establishing a precursor to Emerson’s philosophy. Initially, Descartes questions all notions of being. In “Mediation I”, Descartes begins his argument explaining the senses which perceive reality can be deceptive and “it is wiser not to trust entirely to any thing by which we have once been deceived” (Descartes 59). But, he then continues to reason; “opinions [are] in some measure doubtful…and at the same time highly probable, so that there is much more reason to believe in than to deny them” (Descartes 62). Descartes maintains trust within his established personal beliefs though he may doubt certain physical senses. Additionally, Descartes seeks to establish his identity in “Meditation II”. Even as he questions his very existence, he begins trustin...
Aurelius, Marcus. "Meditations." Ancient Philosophy. 3rd Ed. Philosophic Classics, vols. 1. Baird, Forrest E., and Walter Kaufman. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2000.
In this paper I will present two differing views on the topic of the design argument. In particular, I will explain William Paley's view supporting the design argument and Bertrand Russell's view against the design argument. After a presentation of the differing views, I will then evaluate the arguments to show that William Paley has a stronger argument.
The book entitled Meditations on First Philosophy is a philosophical treatise of Rene Descartes. It is first published in 1641 in Latin. Then, it is translated to several languages such as French in the latter years.
Rene Descartes is recognized as an influential abstract thinker. Although there have been objections to his idea's, he continues to invoke thinking among huge numbers of people. In the first meditation, Descartes does an excellent job of convincing the reader that all the information received from the senses can be called into doubt. He uses concrete arguments to show how humans often have the tendency to assume things they don't really know about, espically when this information is based on the senses. This work is a classic because of the originality of Descartes ideas, and the matter-of-fact way that he presents them. These are just some of the ingredients that compose a classic philosophy masterpiece.
Meditation on First Philosophy. His position on the body being a strictly physical entity while
Marcus Aurelius was a famous philosopher in 121 through 180 C.E. He lived a hard life and even though he was surrounded by crowds he was considered a recluse. He was known for his kindness and mercy. The last years of his life were spent on a military campaign. It is said that these years were the hardest and loneliest. However, instead of becoming bitter and angry Aurelius wrote The Meditations. This was a diary or journal of his personal thoughts. He believed that by writing this it was his duty to his soul. The Meditations, is a popular piece of stoic literature. In this paper I will be describing how Aurelius used stoicism in book two of The Meditations and what I liked and did not like about what he said.