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WorksheetsHigher Descartes Quiz
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 16mins
Descartes is known as the father of
Modern Science
Modern Maths
Modern Philosophy
Modern Knowledge
Descartes was a
Empiricist
Rationalist
Sceptic
Materialist
Descartes believed the issues sourrounding knowledge was: (tick all that apply)
That it is all based on sense experience
It is based on questionable foundations
It is all wrong
There was a large amount of falsehoods he accepted as true in his childhood
Descartes refused to accept any knowledge claim as true, unless it was certain to the point of being beyond doubt. This is also known as:
Descartes Method of Doubt
Descartes Meditations
Descartes Cogito
What are the aims of Descartes method of doubt? (tick all that apply)
To establish a foundation for knowledge that couldn't be doubted
To defeat the sceptics
To prove the existence of God
To avoid believing things that are not completely certain and indubitable.
Descartes begins Meditations by presenting three arguments that support scepticism. These are sometimes referred to as:
The three ways of doubt
The three waves of doubt
The three tides of doubt
The three caves of doubt
In what order are Descartes three sceptical arguments presented in Meditation 1?
1) Dreaming 2) Illusion 3) Evil Demon
1) Evil Demon 2) Dreaming 3) Illusion
1) Illusion 2) Dreaming 3) Evil Demon
1) Dreaming 2) Evil Demon 3) Illusion
Descartes says that many of his beliefs are based on his sense experience and he has, in the past been deceived by his senses. This is also known as the:
Argument from dreaming
Argument from illusion
The evil demon argument
Descartes doubts whether he knows if he is awake. He begins by explaining that he has no way of knowing if he is really seated on front of the fireplace or if he is really lying asleep in bed. This is known as the:
Argument from illusion
Dreaming argument
Evil Demon argument
What is meant by a priori knowledge?
knowledge gained from the senses
knowledge gained from reason alone
knowledge gained from both the senses and reason
knowledge that we cannot know for certain
What is meant by a posteriori knowledge?
Knowledge gained from the senses
Knowledge gained from reason alone
Knowledge that we cannot know for certain
Knowledge that we gain from both reason and the senses
What type of knowledge survives the argument from illusion?
All knowledge from the senses
Knowledge from reason
Knowledge that he cannot know anything for certain
Which of the following survives the argument from dreaming? (tick all that apply)
A posteriori knowledge
Truths of geometry
Truths of quantity
Truths of arithmetic
What is meant by local scepticism?
Doubt about a particular branch of knowledge
Doubt about the local area you live in
Doubt about whether there is a world existing outside our own mind
What is meant by global scepticism?
Doubt about a particular branch of knowledge
Doubt about all the countries that exist
Doubt about whether or not a world exists outside our own mind
Which of the following three arguments leads to global scepticism?
Argument from illusion
Argument from dreaming
Evil demon argument
What conclusions does Descartes reach in his argument from dreaming? (tick all that apply)
Throws doubt on all sense perception
Throws doubt on always believing what our senses tells us.
Allows for the idea that dreams must be constructed from something real
That even the truth of mathematics can be doubted
'Cogito Ergo Sum' is Latin for:
The Method of Doubt
The Whirlpool of Doubt
I Think Therefore I am
The Three Waves
What is significant about the Cogito?
He realises that even if there is an evil demon deceiving him, he is thinking about existing , therefore he exists.
It makes him realises that he will never know anything for certain
He realises that he will never overcome the evil demon argument
What analogy does Descartes use to explain his method of doubt
Wax analogy
Basket of apples analogy
Watchmakers analogy
Evil demon analogy
