The primary purpose of this paper will be to offer an interpretation of Descartes' proof of t... more The primary purpose of this paper will be to offer an interpretation of Descartes' proof of the existence of matter as found in Meditation VI-an interpretation that is, I believe, the only one consistent with the relevant texts. The one guiding principle I use in offering this interpretation is the principle of charity, that is, when one interprets any philosopher's argument, an unsound argument should not be accepted as his unless there is no alternative interpretive argument that is both sound and consistent with the relevant texts of that philosopher. ' A secondary goal of this paper is to raise and discuss briefly some questions that I believe must be raised if the interpretation of Descartes' proof offered in this paper is correct. These questions have to do with the status of proof and of clear and distinct ideas in Descartes' metaphysics. The answers to these questions are beyond the scope of the present paper, yet they are raised here in order to suggest some of the more important ramifications that the present interpretation of Descartes' proof has for Cartesian philosophy. The central question of the proof of the existence of matter is, 'What causes the ideas of sense which I experience?' After Descartes rejects the possibility that the self is the unknown cause, and after he poses the three possibilities of a body, God, or an angel as the cause, Descartes continues his proof as follows:
I offer a line of argument that aims at the conclusion that the notion of radically different and... more I offer a line of argument that aims at the conclusion that the notion of radically different and incommensurable systems of value is incoherent, which would mean that the presumption of some significant common ground of valuation is rationally required in value inquiry
Experience and Value: Essays on John Dewey and Pragmatic Naturalism brings together twelve essays... more Experience and Value: Essays on John Dewey and Pragmatic Naturalism brings together twelve essays spanning the career of noted Dewey scholar, S. Morris Eames. The volume includes both critiques and interpretations of important issues in John Dewey's value theory as well as the application of Eames's pragmatic naturalism in addressing contemporary problems in social theory, education, and religion. The collection begins with a discussion of the underlying principles of Dewey's pragmatic naturalism, including the concepts of nature, experience, and philosophic method. From this framework, Eames also considers possible resolutions of the current dichotomy between the factual worldview of science and the humanistic worldview of the liberal arts. The volume concludes with a discussion of the very topic that first brought Eames to philosophy - the meaning of religion and the religious life.
Twentieth-century action theory has concentrated on the relationship of intention to action, and ... more Twentieth-century action theory has concentrated on the relationship of intention to action, and thereby the relationship of belief as an occurrent state of the agent to the agent's action. This stress on belief appears to be predicated on the view that our actions are primarily guided by our understanding of the relevant conditions of action, a view encouraged by the fact that we can and do attribute beliefs to ourselves and others to explain instances of the failure of an action to achieve a desired outcome. I argue that, to the contrary, there is no compelling reason to conclude that such attributions imply that our actions are guided by occurrent beliefs. The alternative view offered is that our actions are typically guided by habit, but in cases of pragmatic failure we attribute putative prefailure beliefs on the basis of the overall intention of action and relevant background understanding.
... Arnauld's mistake is that he takes the conformity of the objective being of an idea ... more ... Arnauld's mistake is that he takes the conformity of the objective being of an idea to the formal being of its extramental object ... Consequently Arnauld raises the issue, which Descartes considers a red herring, of how the idea of cold could misrepresent its extramental object, the ...
The primary purpose of this paper will be to offer an interpretation of Descartes' proof of t... more The primary purpose of this paper will be to offer an interpretation of Descartes' proof of the existence of matter as found in Meditation VI-an interpretation that is, I believe, the only one consistent with the relevant texts. The one guiding principle I use in offering this interpretation is the principle of charity, that is, when one interprets any philosopher's argument, an unsound argument should not be accepted as his unless there is no alternative interpretive argument that is both sound and consistent with the relevant texts of that philosopher. ' A secondary goal of this paper is to raise and discuss briefly some questions that I believe must be raised if the interpretation of Descartes' proof offered in this paper is correct. These questions have to do with the status of proof and of clear and distinct ideas in Descartes' metaphysics. The answers to these questions are beyond the scope of the present paper, yet they are raised here in order to suggest some of the more important ramifications that the present interpretation of Descartes' proof has for Cartesian philosophy. The central question of the proof of the existence of matter is, 'What causes the ideas of sense which I experience?' After Descartes rejects the possibility that the self is the unknown cause, and after he poses the three possibilities of a body, God, or an angel as the cause, Descartes continues his proof as follows:
I offer a line of argument that aims at the conclusion that the notion of radically different and... more I offer a line of argument that aims at the conclusion that the notion of radically different and incommensurable systems of value is incoherent, which would mean that the presumption of some significant common ground of valuation is rationally required in value inquiry
Experience and Value: Essays on John Dewey and Pragmatic Naturalism brings together twelve essays... more Experience and Value: Essays on John Dewey and Pragmatic Naturalism brings together twelve essays spanning the career of noted Dewey scholar, S. Morris Eames. The volume includes both critiques and interpretations of important issues in John Dewey's value theory as well as the application of Eames's pragmatic naturalism in addressing contemporary problems in social theory, education, and religion. The collection begins with a discussion of the underlying principles of Dewey's pragmatic naturalism, including the concepts of nature, experience, and philosophic method. From this framework, Eames also considers possible resolutions of the current dichotomy between the factual worldview of science and the humanistic worldview of the liberal arts. The volume concludes with a discussion of the very topic that first brought Eames to philosophy - the meaning of religion and the religious life.
Twentieth-century action theory has concentrated on the relationship of intention to action, and ... more Twentieth-century action theory has concentrated on the relationship of intention to action, and thereby the relationship of belief as an occurrent state of the agent to the agent's action. This stress on belief appears to be predicated on the view that our actions are primarily guided by our understanding of the relevant conditions of action, a view encouraged by the fact that we can and do attribute beliefs to ourselves and others to explain instances of the failure of an action to achieve a desired outcome. I argue that, to the contrary, there is no compelling reason to conclude that such attributions imply that our actions are guided by occurrent beliefs. The alternative view offered is that our actions are typically guided by habit, but in cases of pragmatic failure we attribute putative prefailure beliefs on the basis of the overall intention of action and relevant background understanding.
... Arnauld's mistake is that he takes the conformity of the objective being of an idea ... more ... Arnauld's mistake is that he takes the conformity of the objective being of an idea to the formal being of its extramental object ... Consequently Arnauld raises the issue, which Descartes considers a red herring, of how the idea of cold could misrepresent its extramental object, the ...
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Papers by Richard W Field