Descartes's Method of Doubt by Janet Broughton

Descartes's Method of Doubt by Janet Broughton

Descartes thought that we could achieve absolute certainty by starting with radical doubt. He adopts this strategy in the "Mediations on First Philosophy", where he raises sweeping doubts with the famous dream argument and the hypothesis of an evil demon. But why did Descartes think we should take these exaggerated doubts seriously? And if we do take them seriously, how did he think any of our beliefs could ever escape them? Janet Broughton undertakes a close study of Descartes's first three meditations to answer these questions and to present a fresh way of understanding precisely what Descartes was up to. Broughton first contrasts Descartes's doubts with those of the ancient sceptics, arguing that Cartesian doubt has a novel structure and a distinctive relation to the commonsense outlook of everyday life. She then argues that Descartes pursues absolute certainty by uncovering the conditions that make his radical doubt possible. She gives a unified account of how Descartes uses this strategy, first to find certainty about his own existence and then to argue that God exists. Drawing on this analysis, Broughton provides a new way to understand Descartes's insistence that he hasn't a

Simply put, this is a superb bookIt provides a deep, learned, and philosophically engaging reading of the method of doubt as laid out in the first three meditations... Exemplary in its capacity to seamlessly combine scholarly debate, history of ideas and original philosophising in a clear and lively prose style. The book will be an essential reference in future discussions of Descartes and his method of doubt. -- David Macarthur Philosophical Books In this clearly written and engaging book, Broughton argues that the method of doubt is in fact constructive, a strategy for uncovering the first principles of philosophy by showing that the truth of certain beliefs is a condition for the method of doubt. -- Deborah Boyle Philosophy in Review This is a brilliant book, written in a flowing and elegant prose that belies the extraordinary erudition, and philosophical rigor and subtlety which it contains. -- Jorge Secada Philosophical Quarterly

Janet Broughton is Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley.

SKU	Nicht verfügbar
ISBN 13	9780691088181
ISBN 10	0691088187
Titel	Descartes's Method of Doubt
Autor	Janet Broughton
Buchzustand	Nicht verfügbar
Bindungsart	Hardback
Verlag	Princeton University Press
Erscheinungsjahr	2002-01-15
Seitenanzahl	240
Hinweis auf dem Einband	Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden.