Reconstructing Descartes argument
The Process of Elimination
In
this process, Descartes says that a process called elimination can make a
choice. This process is used when one has many choices. They take and argue out
one choice at a time and finally choose the one that feels the best. Through
this process, the last choice that is considered the best option is taken to be
the truth. For the process of elimination to take place, first the head has to
have a perception of something for example an object. The principle of
elimination is then applied to prove the validity of the perception.
The
two statements provided, ‘I am merely possibly embodied’ and ‘I necessarily
posses the attribute of thinking’ possibly mean the same thing. The statement
continues to be summarized to express that; thinking belongs to my essence
while embodiment does not. Therefore, I am essentially a thinking thing. In the
first statement, it is clear that the person implies that he is not attached to
any form of a body. He says that his mind is free and is merely influenced by
any external force.
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This
means that he is a free thinker, and this can be assumed to mean that his mind
is capable of perception. In the summary, the statement also emphasizes that,
thinking belongs to his essence. Essence as we understand are the set of
attributes that make an object what it is and without which, it would lose its
identity. The attributes are therefore a necessity for the object. The
statement therefore emphasizes that the thinking is an important attribute to
him and is a necessity to him. Without thinking, he loses his individuality.
The individual therefore possess the power of perception. With the power of
perception through thinking then there is the necessity to use the process of
elimination to establish if the perception is the truth or not.
In
the last part of the conclusion, the person says that he is therefore a
thinking thing. By virtue of being a thinking thing, the individual is in a
position to use the process of elimination. This is because the process of
elimination entails laying the choices on the table and arguing them out one by
one. Argument requires a lot of critical thinking and therefore an individual
who is a thinking thing is good at arguing. It is possible to assume that a
thinking thing is a process of elimination argument. This is because; the
process of elimination can only take place when there thinking: and it cannot
exist without thinking because the person using the elimination process has to
argue out by thinking which option or perception is true. By virtue of the
person being a thinking thing, it is easy for him to think and know which
perception is false and eliminate it and which is true hence apply it.
We
can therefore conclude that after the examination of all aspects of the
statement; and after the consideration of the process of elimination. The two
are the same thing. The two statements refer to the same assumption therefore,
they can be applied interchangeably. Hence, it can be claimed that Descartes
argument has been reconstructed.
Work cited
David Stewart, H. Gene
Blocker, Fundamentals of philosophy.
Prentice Hall. 2001. Pg 157
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