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Philosophy (Cervantes and Descartes) Even though that theory of Cartesian Dualism and the character of Don Quixote in Cervantes famous book are seemingly not related, there is an unmistakable similarity between how both Don Quixote and Rene Descartes percept surrounding reality. In short they doubt the ontological value of their senses. Let us analyze the essence of Descartes theory. It will also allow us to evaluate the figure of Don Quixote from metaphysical perspective. Cartesian Dualism, as philosophic method, was introduced by the French philosopher Rene Descartes (1596 1650), who in his Meditations on First philosophy had suggested the parallel existence of two, fundamentally opposite essences material body and immaterial mind, where immaterial mind is fully independent of its body and even capable of existing without it. According to him, physical and mental substances have its properties: extension corresponds to physical substance, and ability to think is a property of mental substances.
All the matter and the space have an extension they are reality of material realm. Matter sometimes gets to be rearranged in space that is movement. The power behind such movement is God. According to Descartes, mens body is nothing but a link between lower material realm and higher spiritual. The only thing that enables person to asses surrounding reality, is its consciousness. I think, therefore I am this Descartes saying is very helpful to grasp the essence of his ideas.
On the one hand I have a clear and distinct idea of myself, in so far as I am simply a thinking, non-extended thing; and on the other hand I have a distinct idea of body, in so far as this is simply an extended, non-thinking thing. And accordingly, it is certain that I am really distinct from my body, and can exist without it. (Descartes, Meditation VI). What is so remarkable about quoted passage from Descartes Meditation on First Philosophy? In my opinion, it is the fact that there is unique interconnection of idealism and logic. This is one of characteristics of Western philosophy as a whole. The idealism is also main Don Quixote's trait.
And also, just like Descartes, he used to mistrust what he saw with his own eyes, because he rightly doubted the validity of sensual perception. Descartes suggested that we couldnt fully rely on our senses, while assessing surrounding reality: I have seen round towers from afar, which closely observed seemed square, and colossal statues, which appeared tiny when closely viewed. I found error in the external senses, and in the internal (Descartes, Meditation VI). Nevertheless, he also thought that our senses could be usually trusted, for as long as they confirm each. Unlike him, Don Quixote has always denied the objectivity to a sensual perception.
In Chapter XVII, Don Quixote argues with Sancho over their different interpretations of encounter with a traveling merchant, whom Don Quixote thought to be the evil sorcerer: It cannot be the Moor, " answered Don Quixote, "for those under enchantment do not let themselves be seen by anyone. "If they don't let themselves be seen, they let themselves be felt, " said Sancho; "if not, let my shoulders speak to the point. "Mine could speak too, " said Don Quixote, "but that is not a sufficient reason for believing that what we see is the enchanted Moor. " (Cervantes, Ch. XVII). In his dialogues with Sancho Don Quixote indulges in sophism, when he tries to justify his own craziness. Despite this, his way of thinking appears as much more valuable than Sancho Pass, because hes able to operate with an abstract categories, unlike his servant. Therefore, even when Quixote's words dont make much of a sense, they still sound pleasing to our ears.
Another difference between Descartes and Don Quixote is that Cervantes hero goes beyond philosophizing and tries to prove to everyone that the true reality is more dramatic than it presents itself. There is one famous scene in Cervantes book, where Don Quixote challenges windmills to the fight, after having confused them with a hostile giants. To Sancho's suggestion that giants were actually windmills, Don Quixote said: "It is easy to see, " replied Don Quixote, "that thou art not used to this business of adventures; those are giants; and if thou art afraid, away with thee out of this and betake thyself to prayer while I engage them in fierce and unequal combat. (Cervantes, Ch. VIII). Both Descartes and Don Quixote come to the realization of the fact that it is impossible to acquire an objective empirical knowledge, without involvement of God. This is the weakest point of Descartes philosophy by using a logical approach he tries to conceal his own irrationality: But after I have recognized that there is a God -- because at the same time I have also recognized that all things depend upon Him, and that He is not a deceiver, and from that have inferred that what I perceive clearly and distinctly cannot fail to be true. (Descartes, Meditation V).
This is rather frivolous assumption; on his part The same can be said about Don Quixote. The God is also final authority for him: Sancho the Good, mount thy beast and come along with me, for God, who provides for all things, will not fail us, more especially when we are so active in his service as we are (Cervantes, Ch. XVIII). Many point out that Descartes philosophy goes along with Christian beliefs, providing Christianity with philosophical ground for imposing its outdated views upon great many people. But again, if we to think about it in historical terms, itll come into view that since the beginning its decline as religion, Christianity used to be very little preoccupied with reassessing its doctrine by the mean of philosophy.
Some philosophers associate Cartesian dualism with the main principle that modern Christian theology is built upon and with nothing else. But Descartes was also a great mathematician and there is no doubt that he wanted to see his philosophy finding some practical application, rather than just becoming a tool in hands of priests. Don Quixote is also very far from being considered a religious person. He simply strives for justice and since he values it the most, Quixote attributes a certain divine properties to this notion. As his story nears the end, Cervantes hero becomes disillusioned and recognizes he fact that the reality he believed in, turned out to be artificial: A vision it must have been, no doubt, " said Don Quixote, "for there is no other I in the world; this history has been going about here for some time from hand to hand, but it does not stay long in any, for everybody gives it a taste of his foot. I am not disturbed by hearing that I am wandering in a fantastic shape in the darkness of the pit or in the daylight above, for I am not the one that history treats of (Cervantes, Ch.
LXX). It is very symptomatic that both Cervantes and Descartes felt the same internal division between body and mind. They lived in time of early baroque, when there was a sense of great disillusionment lingering in the air, since it was being proven that the Earth is not the center of universe. Many philosophers and writers felt that it was largely due to the fact that our senses can be deceiving. Yet, because of their inertial affiliation with Christianity, they preferred to think that the mind was superior to the body, while in fact; mind cannot exist outside of the body.
Thou must keep in view what thou art, striving to know thyself, the most difficult thing to know that the mind can imagine says Don Quixote to Sancho, before he sets out to govern island in Chapter XLII. By admitting this fact, Don Quixote also recognizes bodily nature of mind, since the process of imagining involves visualizing, which is based on ones sensual awareness. It is no secret that Cartesian Dualism, as method, has fallen out of favor among contemporary philosophers It is commonly regarded as a bit naive approach to explaining the nature of surrounding reality and mens place in it. But it had never lost its historical value and that is exactly the reason why its being taught in universities. The tendency to overestimate the value of logic is the result of very illogical quality of Western philosophers their concepts are highly idealistic in its core, regardless of whether theyre affected by the religion or not. This is because at certain point they were able to divert their attention from their immediate needs and to look up in the sky thinking of abstract matters for the first time.
It signified the beginning of science and automatically resulted in conceiving of what we now refer to as culture. Descartes and Don Quixote are basically disillusioned Europeans, before the advent of the age of reason. They distrust their senses not out nihilistic denial, but because their sixth sense tells them that the true nature of things cannot be affected by time and circumstances. They both regarded spirit as a higher mode of existence, but they wrongly suggested that this category is self-efficient Bibliography: Cervantes, Model de Saavedra Don Quixote. (2004) Translated by John Ormsby. Project Guttenberg Ebook. March 13, 2005.
web Descartes, Rene Meditations on First Philosophy. Edited by John Cottingham. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Abstract This paper is intended to prove that it is not only the abstract theorizing that makes Descartes and Don Quixote to suggest that they cant fully trust their senses, while assessing the surrounding reality, but the fact that that they both were the typical representatives of their historical era.
The quotes from Meditations on First Philosophy and Cervantes Don Quixote are meant to substantiate my point about what was the essence of Renaissance and Baroque in Europe in 16 th and 17 th centuries, namely the attempt to breakaway from pseudo-scientific notions of Christianity. I conclude that both Descartes and Don Quixote were able to come to many verifiable scientific ideas only because they shared the same psychological trait of all White people an ability to keep their mental activity being unaffected by their sensuality. Nevertheless, their idealism did not allow them to part with the notion of God as an emotional being. And this is why their worldviews are now regarded as naive. The Outline P. 1 - Outlines the essence of Cartesian Dualism and discusses relation of this theory to the character of Don Quixote. Pp. 2, 3 Analyses the objectivity of sensual perception through the eyes of Descartes and Don Quixote.
Pp. 3, 4 Conclusion.
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Research essay sample on Philosophy Cervantes And Descartes
