An Error as a Concept by Rene Descartes Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Introduction

The error – discrepancy between two groups of the objects, one of which is the standard, a right answer of a problem, the decision which would lead to the desirable result, and the second – something which is taking place actually. Errors are met in all spheres of human activity. For the analysis of errors set of theories are developed. Many historical examples in which errors have led to catastrophic consequences are known. Many sets of aphorisms are devoted to errors, which are comprehended by philosophers, poets, writers, historians and representatives of many other disciplines. The paper discusses the concept of the error based on the work of the French philosopher René Descartes.

Background

Rene Descartes was born on March, 31st, 1596 in a family of the small office in the far West of France, near to the modern city La Haye en Touraine. He has created a philosophy, which in his life has turned into a dominating work in the philosophical thought of Europe school and a direction, which took his name (Descartes, in Latin – Cartesius) – Cartesian. At the heart of Descartes’ philosophy are the dualism of soul and the body, conceiving and prolonging substances. He identified the matter with an extent (or space), movement reduced to moving of bodies. The unconditional basis of all knowledge, by Descartes, is the direct reliability of consciousness (I think, hence, I exist). He considered the existence of God as a source of the objective importance of human thinking.

Analysis

Descartes analyzes that the ability to judge that was given to him by God, and as he is not willing to deceive him he did not give him the capability when judging properly be delusional. If not this capability, therefore there will not be a possibility to make an error. Descartes considered that the error is not something real that is dependant on God, rather than a defect. Therefore he is not delusional because of some capability given by God, but he can be delusional because the ability to judge what was given by God is not infinite.

The error is not a denial, but merely an inadequacy or lack of knowledge that was supposed to be present. Therefore, it could be assumed that the error is dependable on the degree of knowledge that the person has and the freedom of choice, i.e. the intellect and the will. By intellect alone, only the ideas that could be judged are considered and thus in this context, there is no place for errors. So what is the source for errors? The reason based on Descartes meditations lies in the assumption that the will is more extensive than intelligence, it is not kept in the same borders, like intelligence, but it is extended also on things and matters that the person does not understand; when the will is indifferent to these things, it easily deviates true and good, and thus the person commits errors.

For this reason, the person is capable to achieve by means of attentive repeated deliberation reach steady memoirs every time when there will be a need, and thus to develop a habit not to make errors. Descartes reaching his conclusions about error and truth reached at the same time the proof of God existence as free of errors and mistakes.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, September 25). An Error as a Concept by Rene Descartes. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-error-as-a-concept-by-rene-descartes/

Work Cited

"An Error as a Concept by Rene Descartes." IvyPanda, 25 Sept. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/an-error-as-a-concept-by-rene-descartes/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) 'An Error as a Concept by Rene Descartes'. 25 September.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. "An Error as a Concept by Rene Descartes." September 25, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-error-as-a-concept-by-rene-descartes/.

1. IvyPanda. "An Error as a Concept by Rene Descartes." September 25, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-error-as-a-concept-by-rene-descartes/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "An Error as a Concept by Rene Descartes." September 25, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/an-error-as-a-concept-by-rene-descartes/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1