Descartes’ Meditations

1.Descartes’ Meditations are meant to be read through slowly meditatively.
He is concerned with knowledge and certainty in ways that Plato, Aristotle and earlier philosophers are not. He uses doubt to discover if anything is certain.
A question to ask is regarding his starting point. While earlier philosophers will start from sense experience as evident and the basis of our other knowledge,Descartes starts from the internal evidence of his thinking (a step that would have come only later for someone like Aristotle or Aquinas); the problem with this approach is that it introduces a gap between the way the world appears and the way the world is and makes philosophy subjective; that is I can’t really be sure that what you are perceiving as real is what I am perceiving; thus I can only be certain’ of my own internal ideas. As you read through Descartes can you find places where he seems to be stuck in this internal bubble’? do you think one’s search for certainty can backfire so to speak?

2.As a background for Gandhi it would be helpful if you watch the Academy
Award winning film entitled Gandhi from 1982. This will give you a sense of his history, development and context as well as some of most powerful events of his career. In what sense can Gandhi’s life be considered a success? Returning to the Socratic credo a good man is not harmed in life or death and better to suffer injustice than to do injustice (cf. Discussion above on the Apology and Gorgias), is Gandhi’s life proof of these claims? How are Gandhi’s ethical/ political views grounded in his religious/ metaphysical/ philosophical views? (in your discussion respond to any or all of the above and end your posting with a question of your own).

3.Wollstonecraft argues that women have been systematically miseducated to
be seductive and alluring mistresses rather than rational citizens and individuals? Do you agree with her arguments applied to contemporary society? Why or why not? Do women still primarily find their strength in their appearance rather than their reason?