"Meditations on First Philosophy" Discussion Questions

Rene Descartes
  1. What supposition does Descartes make at the end of the first meditation? Why does he make this supposition?
  2. In the end, does Descartes think that we can know whether the external world exists? Defend your answer.
  3. Which ideas does Descartes think couldn’t have come from anywhere except God? How does he argue for this conclusion?
  4. At the end of the first meditation, Descartes mentions that he is concerned “not with acting, but only with knowledge.” Why might this be important to point out for Descartes? Should he also be concerned with acting?
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