Descartes - Meditations on First Philosophy

Multiple Choice

Why does Descartes say that he does not need to doubt each of his beliefs individually (p. 13-4)?

• Because he can trust the opinions that come from his senses.

• Because if he doubts his foundational opinions, it will make him doubt the rest.

• Because his opinions are mostly true.

• Because all of his opinions come from God.

Open Ended

The Dream Argument makes Descartes doubt many of his beliefs. What beliefs does it not lead him to doubt?

Multiple Choice

What does Descartes suppose is systematically deceiving him?

• God

• An evil genius

• His dreams

• Nothing

Multiple Choice

What does Descartes believe is sdeceiving him?

• God

• An evil genius

• His dreams

• Nothing

Multiple Choice

Fundamentally, what does Descartes think he is?

• A thing with a body

• A thing with a brain

• A complex thing

• A thinking thing

Multiple Choice

Descartes distinguishes between three types of ideas, what are they?

• Empirical, adjudical, and "given by God."

• Innate, adventitious, and "produced by me"

• True, false, and "reached by argument"

• Conceptual, free-form, and "classified by nobility."

Multiple Choice

What type of reality does a tree have?

• Formal reality

• Objective reality

• Both types of reality

• Neither type of reality

Multiple Choice

What type of reality do words on a screen have?

• Formal reality

• Objective reality

• Both types of reality

• Neither type of reality