GCE A - LEVEL PHILOSOPHY ( Meditation on first Philosophy)

 READ THE EXTRACT WELL AND ANSWER TH QUESTION THAT FOLLOWS

EXTRACT FIVE

1. Isn't it one and the same "I" who now doubts almost everything, understands some things, affirm this one thing - namely, that I exist and think, denies everything else, want to know more, refuses to be deceived, imagines many things involuntarily, and is aware of others that I exist, even if I am in a perpetual dream, and even if my creator is doing his best to deceive me? These activities are all aspects of my thinking, and are all inseparable from myself. The fact that it is I who doubt and understand and want is so obvious that I can't see how to make it any clearer. But the "I" who imagines is also this same "I". For even if ( as I am pretending) none of the things that I imagine really exist, I really do imagine them, and this is part of my thinking. Lastly, it is also this same "I" who senses, or is aware of bodily things seemingly through the senses. Because I may be dreaming, I can't say for sure that I now see the flames, hear the wood crackling, and feel the heat of the fire; but I certainly seem to see, to hear, and to be warmed. This cannot be false; what is called "sensing" is strictly just this seeming and when " sensing" is understood in this restricted sense of the word, it too is simply thinking.

Questions

1. Bring out the theme and the logical articulations of this passage.
2. Explain the following concepts and expressions as used in the passage. i) "attributes", ii) "perpetual dream", iii) "thinking", iv) "when sensing is understood in this restricted sense of the word, it too is simply thinking".
3. What relationship does Descartes establish between the self and sensation?
4. What is the role of doubt in the Cartesian epistemology?
5. What is the relationship between mathematics and philosophy in the Cartesian epistemology?
6. What is the impact of the central theme to our contemporary society?