Cartesian Skepticism - Neo, Meet Rene: Crash Course Philosophy #5

Summary

This Crash Course Philosophy episode explores the concept of skepticism through the lens of 'The Matrix' film, drawing parallels with the philosophical inquiries of René Descartes. Descartes' methodical doubt, questioning the certainty of all beliefs, leads to his famous 'Cogito, ergo sum' ('I think, therefore I am') declaration, establishing the existence of a thinking self as the foundation for building knowledge. The episode delves into the philosophical debate on the reliability of senses and the potential for a deceptive reality, challenging viewers to consider the nature of truth and existence.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The Matrix serves as a philosophical allegory for skepticism, questioning the nature of reality and whether our perceptions are genuine or an illusion.
• 🧠 Rene Descartes, a 17th-century philosopher, is considered the epitome of skepticism, leading to the term 'Cartesian Skepticism'.
• 🤔 Descartes' philosophical journey began with doubting all beliefs, including those derived from the senses, which he noted are often unreliable.
• 💭 He considered the possibility of an 'Evil Genius' deceiving us into believing a false reality, similar to the Matrix's scenario.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Descartes explored the concept of 'local doubts', which are temporary and situational, contrasting with 'global doubt', a pervasive uncertainty about the entire reality.
• 🌍 Bertrand Russell's 'Five Minute Hypothesis' exemplifies global doubt, suggesting the universe could be much newer than we believe, with a fabricated history.
• 💡 Descartes' pivotal realization was 'Cogito, ergo sum' or 'I think, therefore I am', establishing the certainty of his own existence as a thinking entity.
• 📚 In 'Meditations on First Philosophy', Descartes used his foundational belief in his own existence to rebuild a framework of certain knowledge.
• 🕊️ Descartes believed in God's benevolence, asserting that a benevolent God would not allow us to be deceived by clear and distinct ideas that are false.
• 🌌 From the certainty of his own mind, Descartes reasoned that the physical world must also exist, as it is inconceivable that an 'Evil Genius' could fabricate every waking moment.
• 🤝 The script draws a parallel between Descartes' philosophical battle against skepticism and Neo's struggle against the Matrix, both seeking truth in a world of uncertainty.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the video script about 'The Matrix'?

The central theme of the video script explores the philosophical question of the nature of reality, inspired by the film 'The Matrix', and delves into the concept of skepticism and the quest for certainty in knowledge, as exemplified by the philosophical inquiries of René Descartes.

Who is credited as the original 'Neo' in the context of battling the matrix of illusion?

René Descartes, a 17th-century mathematician, is credited as the original 'Neo' for his philosophical battle against the matrix of illusion to defend the truth.

What is the philosophical study of knowledge called?

The philosophical study of knowledge is called epistemology.

How did Descartes approach the problem of determining the truth of his beliefs?

Descartes approached the problem by temporarily disbelieving everything to ensure he wasn't holding any false beliefs. He then examined each belief carefully, only accepting those about which there could be no doubt.

What is the difference between local and global doubt according to Descartes?

Local doubt refers to doubts about a particular sense experience or occurrence at a specific point in time, which can be checked later. Global doubt, on the other hand, is the kind of doubt that cannot be stepped out of or checked, questioning the very nature of reality itself.

What is the 'Five Minute Hypothesis' as mentioned in the script?

The 'Five Minute Hypothesis' is a thought experiment by Bertrand Russell, which posits that the universe could have been created just five minutes ago with all its elements designed to appear as if they have a history, challenging the notion of what we consider to be true and real.

What did Descartes conclude about his own existence after doubting everything?

Descartes concluded 'Cogito ergo sum' or 'I think, therefore, I am', asserting that he could not doubt his own existence as a thinking entity, even if everything else could be doubted.

What is the significance of the 'Evil Genius' in Descartes' philosophy?

The 'Evil Genius' is a hypothetical being that Descartes used to represent the possibility of a universal deceiver, whose existence would make it impossible to trust any of our beliefs or experiences, thus leading to radical skepticism.

How does Descartes' foundational belief 'Cogito ergo sum' serve as a starting point for his philosophical system?

Descartes' foundational belief 'Cogito ergo sum' serves as the first indubitable truth that he accepted, allowing him to build back up to more certain beliefs about the world, God, and the nature of reality.

What is the role of 'clear and distinct ideas' in Descartes' argument for the existence of God?

In Descartes' philosophy, 'clear and distinct ideas' are those that are so evident and precise that they cannot be doubted. He used this concept to argue for the existence of God, asserting that such a clear idea of a perfect being could not originate from his own imperfection but must have been placed in him by God.

What is the debate among philosophers regarding Descartes' ability to justify beliefs beyond his own existence as a thinking thing?

The debate among philosophers questions whether Descartes successfully justifies beliefs beyond his own existence as a thinking thing, considering the strength and validity of his arguments for the existence of God and the physical world.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 The Matrix and Descartes' Quest for Truth

This paragraph introduces the philosophical themes of the video, drawing parallels between the film 'The Matrix' and the philosophical inquiries of René Descartes. It explores the concept of an illusory reality, where humans are deceived into believing a fabricated world is real. The paragraph delves into the idea that some individuals, like Neo in 'The Matrix', choose to face the harsh truth over the comfort of illusion, which mirrors Descartes' own skepticism and pursuit of certainty in knowledge. Descartes' methodical doubt is introduced as a means to sift through beliefs and discern truth from falsehood, much like removing rotten apples from a basket. The paragraph sets the stage for a deeper discussion on epistemology and the nature of reality.

05:01

🤔 Descartes' Global Doubt and the Evil Genius Hypothesis

The second paragraph delves into the concept of global doubt, where the possibility exists that all of reality could be an elaborate deception, as depicted in 'The Matrix'. It contrasts this with local doubts, which can be resolved by changing one's perspective. The paragraph introduces Bertrand Russell's Five Minute Hypothesis as an example of global doubt, where the universe could be a recent creation made to appear old. Descartes' response to such skepticism is explored, including his consideration of an Evil Genius that could deceive all human senses and thoughts. The paragraph discusses Descartes' despair at the possibility of such universal deception and his eventual realization that doubt itself is proof of existence, leading to his famous assertion 'Cogito, ergo sum' ('I think, therefore I am'). It concludes with Descartes' foundational belief in his own mind as a thinking entity and his subsequent efforts to rebuild a framework of certain beliefs from this secure foundation.

Keywords

💡Skepticism

Skepticism in this context refers to the philosophical position that questions the possibility of certain knowledge. It is central to the video's theme as it discusses Descartes' radical doubt and his quest for indubitable truth. The script uses the example of The Matrix to illustrate the concept of skepticism, where characters question the reality of their world.

💡Rene Descartes

Rene Descartes is a 17th-century philosopher, scientist, and mathematician known for his foundational work in Western philosophy. The script highlights his methodical doubt to find a solid foundation for knowledge, culminating in his famous assertion 'Cogito, ergo sum' ('I think, therefore I am').

💡Empirical Beliefs

Empirical beliefs are those derived from sensory experience. The video discusses how Descartes questioned the reliability of these beliefs, pointing out that our senses can deceive us, as seen in the script's examples of visual illusions and altered perceptions due to sickness or intoxication.

💡Dreams

Dreams are used in the script to illustrate the challenge of discerning reality from illusion. Descartes pondered whether our waking life could be as deceptive as a dream, questioning how we can be certain that we are not perpetually dreaming, as opposed to experiencing reality.

💡Global Doubt

Global doubt is a type of skepticism that questions the entirety of one's beliefs about the world, as opposed to local doubts about specific instances. The script mentions the 'Five Minute Hypothesis' by Bertrand Russell to exemplify global doubt, where the universe could be much newer than it appears, deceiving us about its age.

💡Evil Genius

The 'Evil Genius' is a hypothetical malevolent being postulated by Descartes to represent the possibility of a universal deceiver. The script describes this concept as a thought experiment to consider whether an all-powerful being could deceive us into believing falsehoods about reality.

💡Cogito, ergo sum

This Latin phrase, 'I think, therefore I am,' is Descartes' conclusion that self-awareness of thought is the one thing that cannot be doubted. The script presents this as the bedrock of his philosophical system, the starting point from which he rebuilds his beliefs about the world.

💡Clear and Distinct Ideas

Clear and distinct ideas are those that Descartes believed were free from doubt and could be known with certainty. The script mentions that one of these ideas for Descartes was the existence of God, which he used as a stepping stone to establish other certainties about the world.

💡The Matrix

The Matrix is a film used as an analogy throughout the script to explore the concept of living in a simulated reality. It serves as a modern-day parallel to Descartes' philosophical dilemmas, highlighting the tension between perceived reality and the underlying truth.

💡Epistemology

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge. The script refers to it when discussing philosophers' obsession with understanding what can be known and the limits of human knowledge.

💡Foundational Belief

A foundational belief is a basic, self-evident truth that serves as the basis for other beliefs or knowledge claims. In the script, Descartes' realization of his own existence as a thinking being is presented as his foundational belief, from which he rebuilds his understanding of reality.

Highlights

Crash Course Philosophy explores the philosophical implications of 'The Matrix' film.

The film's plot parallels the philosophical skepticism of René Descartes.

Descartes questioned the certainty of knowledge, leading to the development of Cartesian Skepticism.

He proposed a method of doubting all beliefs to find a foundation of certainty.

Descartes used the analogy of a basket of apples to explain his method of doubting beliefs.

Senses are unreliable as they can deceive us, as Descartes pointed out.

Dreams can be so vivid that they challenge the distinction between reality and illusion.

Descartes introduced the concept of 'local doubts' and 'global doubts' to differentiate types of skepticism.

Bertrand Russell's 'Five Minute Hypothesis' exemplifies the idea of global doubt.

Descartes posited an 'Evil Genius' as a hypothetical entity that could deceive all human perception.

Descartes' famous 'Cogito ergo sum' ('I think, therefore, I am') is a foundational belief in philosophy.

Descartes' discovery of his own existence as a thinking thing provided a basis for rebuilding his beliefs.

He argued that God exists as a clear and distinct idea, which will be examined in a later episode.

Descartes concluded that the physical world exists, based on the premise that God wouldn't deceive us.

The episode discusses the ongoing debate among philosophers about the validity of Descartes' arguments beyond his existence.

Crash Course is produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios, offering a variety of educational content.

The episode was sponsored by Squarespace, a platform for creating websites and online stores.

Transcripts

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A film for your philosophical consideration: The Matrix.

You gotta remember the, uh, the humans floating in vats of KY jelly?

Tubes and wires keeping them alive, stimulating their brains, to make them believe that they

were experiencing the real world – the world we all think we know?

Well, almost-20-year-old spoiler alert here: some of them come to find out that the real world was a

desolate wasteland, and the lives everyone thought they were living were just fabrications fed into their brains.

A select few were ‘rescued’ from the illusion, but some of them were so unhappy in the real

world that they chose to return to illusion.

But Neo -- and the others who chose to stay and fight --- were the philosophical heroes

of the movie, choosing truth at the cost of comfort and happiness.

After watching The Matrix, you might’ve found yourself wondering: Could this be true?

Could we possibly be stuck in a dream world of someone else’s making, with no way to

tell that our “reality” isn’t real at all?

If so, you’re not the first person to have wondered about these things.

In fact, the original Neo? The guy who really went into battle against the matrix of illusion,

in order to defend the Truth?

He was a 17th century mathematician. Named Rene.

[Theme Music]

Last time, we talked about Plato, and his belief that the ordinary reality of the material

world is only a shadowy approximation of Ultimate Reality.

Socrates, meanwhile, who was widely believed to be the wisest man in Athens, fretted about how little he knew.

Philosophers spend a lot of time obsessing about knowledge, wishing they knew more, and

worrying that they’re wrong about what they think they know.

They even, if you remember from the first episode, have a fancy name for the study of

knowledge – epistemology.

The philosopher who gets the gold star for taking this how-do-I-know-what-I-know paranoia

to astonishing levels is the early modern philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, Rene Descartes.

When you watch The Matrix, you should congratulate the Wachowskis for giving us such a great sci-fi adventure story.

But you should also remember that the archetype of the story actually has its roots all the

way back in the writings of Descartes, in the early 1600s.

For a story like The Matrix to get off the ground, the audience has to be willing to

entertain some level of skepticism.

And a skeptic is someone who questions whether it’s possible to know anything with certainty.

And Descartes was the mac daddy of all skeptics.

He was so skeptical, named a form of skepticism after him – Cartesian Skepticism!

Why was Descartes so skeptical?

Well, he realized that many of the beliefs he used to hold were actually false. We all

go through this; it’s part of what we call growing up.

Learning the horrible truth about Santa and the tooth fairy. That you can’t actually

buy everything you want and need for just $100. That your parents don't really have all the answers.

But realizing that he used to believe things that were false really got Descartes to thinking.

Because: When he believed those things, he didn’t realize they were false.

So what if some of the things he still believed were also false, and he just hadn’t realized it yet?

How could he know that his beliefs were true?

Well, after a bit of a freak out, Descartes realized that the only way to make sure he

wasn’t holding any false beliefs was to disbelieve everything. At least temporarily.

He offered this as an analogy: Imagine you have a basket of apples, and you’re concerned

that some of the apples might be rotten.

Since the rot could spread and ruin the fresh apples, the only way to make sure there’s

no rot in the basket is to dump out all the fruit, inspect each apple in turn, and return

only the fresh apples to the basket.

Knowing that, just like rotten fruit, a rotten idea can spread and infect all the ideas around it,

Descartes up-ended the apple basket of his beliefs and decided to start from scratch.

If he examined each possible belief carefully, and only accepted those about which there

could be no doubt, then he’d know he was believing only true things.

So, Descartes began the arduous task of examining his beliefs one by one.

He started with empirical beliefs – things we come to know directly through the use of our senses.

And many of us think that our senses are the most reliable source of information. If I

can see it, and hear it, touch it, taste it, smell it, I must know it, right?

Not so much. Descartes pointed out that our senses fail us all the time.

You rush to catch up to a friend and realize, as she turns around, that your eyes played

some tricks on you, and you’ve just tapped the shoulder of a perfect stranger.

Food tastes wrong when you’re sick. Drink too much and you feel like the room is spinning.

Water that’s room temperature feels hot when you come inside after playing in the snow.

The list goes on – you can probably think of countless times when your senses gave you faulty information.

And once you realize that, how can you ever trust your senses again?

And for Descartes, disbeliever of everything, iit got worse.

Have you ever had a dream so vivid you thought you were awake?

You’ve probably had a dream that you were dreaming, or dreamed that you woke up from

a dream, but in fact were still in the dream.

Not everyone has had these experiences, but many of us have, and given that we don’t

always know that we’re dreaming while it’s happening...

HOW DO WE KNOW WE’RE NOT DREAMING RIGHT NOW?!

Maybe you just think you’re watching Crash Course, but in fact, you’re cozied up in bed, dreaming about me.

Which, hey, like, who could blame you?

But really, when you think about it, can you be SURE it’s not the case?

Now, you might be thinking, ok, sure, I probably deceive myself from time to time, without

knowing I’m doing it. But dreams end. And when I wake up, I realize that what I thought

I was experiencing was all in my head.

And the same is true for when my senses let me down.

Those are just temporary instances, isolated to a particular situation. As soon as the

situation changes, I can realize that my experience was false.

This quality – the ability to check in with yourself and figure out that you’re experiencing

a deception – describes what Descartes called local doubts.

Those are doubts about a particular sense experience, or some other occurrence at a particular point in time.

Step out of that point, and you can check to determine if you’ve been deceived.

But what if ... EVERYTHING IS A DECEPTION?

What if everyone is experiencing the same false reality, from birth until death? What

if nothing is as it seems, just like in The Matrix?

This type of doubt, the kind you can’t step out of, and thus can’t check, is called global doubt.

And it’s the subject of this week’s Flash Philosophy. Let’s go to the Thought Bubble.

Philosopher Bertrand Russell illustrated the concept of global doubt with this troubling thought:

What if the universe was created just five minutes ago?

In this scenario, known as the Five Minute Hypothesis, the creator of the universe could

have designed many elements of the world to make them appear “pre-worn,” so as to seem old.

From dinosaur bones – fashioned by the creator, and planted for us to find, to that scar on

your knee – put there by the creator, along with the pre-loaded false memory of how you got it.

It seems crazy, but there’s just no way to prove that it isn’t the case.

The question for Russell was -- does it matter? Descartes thought it did.

But as a good Catholic, he couldn’t fathom a world in which God would plant globally

false beliefs in all of our minds.

So instead, he posited the existence of an Evil Genius, whose purpose in life was to

deceive us, and who was clever enough to do it.

Descartes didn’t exactly think such a being was likely to exist. But he realized there

was no way to rule out his existence. And as long as an Evil Genius was possible, he worried

that we were all stuck. Stuck in a radical skepticism, in which we really cannot trust any of our beliefs.

Everything we believe, every sense experience, every thought, they could all have been put in our minds

by the Evil Genius, who created an illusory world so seamless, we’d have no way of detecting the illusion.

Just like the machines created for the characters in The Matrix.

Descartes was at the point of despair.

But then...he realized something.

He had cause to doubt everything.

Everything EXCEPT the fact that he was doubting.

He knew he was doubting. He could be sure of that.

And if he was doubting, then he must exist – at least as a thinking thing.

After all, a doubt is a thought, and if there is thought, there must be a thinker having those thoughts.

So Descartes decided that he couldn’t know that he had a body – what he believed to

be his body could’ve been part of the Evil Genius’ deception. But he must have had a mind,

or he couldn’t have been having these thoughts. This was Descartes’s ah-ha moment.

In his book, Meditations on First Philosophy, he declared:

Cogito ergo sum. “I think, therefore, I am.”

It’s one of the most famous realizations in philosophy – I cannot doubt my own existence.

I can doubt everything else, but I can’t doubt I am, bare minimum, a mind having thoughts.

This was Descartes’ foundational belief, the first belief he put back in his apple basket.

And from there, he figured he could build back up to more certain beliefs.

Once he was certain that he was a thinking thing, he began examining his thoughts.

And one of his most clear thoughts – what he called a clear and distinct idea – was that God exists.

He gave an argument for this – which we’re going to examine in a later episode.

But for now, take my word for it – it’s got some problems.

And from there, he considered his beliefs about the physical world, and concluded that it, too, actually exists.

Ultimately, he determined, God wouldn’t allow him to have clear and distinct ideas

that were false, without some way to detect his own error. So, he concluded, the Evil

Genius is not actually fabricating lies that consume our every waking moment.

Descartes managed to reason from “cogito” all the way back up to having basically all

the beliefs he started with, back in his apple basket.

Which is the story of how Rene Descartes, with the power of skepticism, defeated the threat of the Evil Genius.

Much like how Neo ultimately short-circuited the Matrix, though considerably less impressive to watch, I imagine.

He found certainty through his discovery of the one belief that he simply couldn’t doubt

– his own existence as a thinking thing.

But, there is a lot of debate among philosophers as to whether Descartes actually manages to

justifiably believe anything other than that he exists as a thinking thing.

And we’ll talk more about that more next time.

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