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Painter's Analogy Descartes Quote
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TheBritishKoala
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Hey,
For a task we need to do is we need to find a quote regarding the painter's analogy by Descartes. Apparently there is one in his First Meditation but I honestly can't find it anywhere, and a little guidance would be appreciated!
Thank you x
For a task we need to do is we need to find a quote regarding the painter's analogy by Descartes. Apparently there is one in his First Meditation but I honestly can't find it anywhere, and a little guidance would be appreciated!
Thank you x
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gjd800
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It is right after the dream analogy (and builds upon it, actually)
part 20, or p14-15 of the cited edition:
Descartes, R. and Moriarty, M. (2008). Meditations on first philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
part 20, or p14-15 of the cited edition:
For the fact is that when painters desire to represent sirens and little satyrs with utterly unfamiliar
shapes, they cannot devise altogether new natures for them, but simply combine parts from different animals; or if perhaps they do think up something so new that nothing at all like it has ever been seen, which is thus altogether fictitious and false, it is certain that at least the colours which they combine to form images must be real
shapes, they cannot devise altogether new natures for them, but simply combine parts from different animals; or if perhaps they do think up something so new that nothing at all like it has ever been seen, which is thus altogether fictitious and false, it is certain that at least the colours which they combine to form images must be real
Descartes, R. and Moriarty, M. (2008). Meditations on first philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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Martins1
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Fyi: his analogy is that the painter makes use of real shapes and colours to form fictitious images (and hence that the fictional creation rests on the basis of real things), and similarly our dreams, although fictitious, must be based on some reality. Hence, although we can be sceptical about what exists, we cannot be sceptical about analytic truths ("2+2=4"; "all bachelors are unmarried men") nor (importantly) can we be sceptical about the existence of external objects tout court. Something exists, and must follow the rules of logic - but other than that we are left sceptics.
Of course, his third wave of doubt (evil demon) undermines even the argument from the painter analogy. Certainly, the evil demon thought experiment leaves us sceptical about the existence of the external world. It is slightly less clear whether Descartes thinks that the evil demon thought experiment undermines analytic/logical truths, but it's arguable (and imo true) that he does conceive of the evil demon thought experiment as making us utterly 'global' sceptics.
Of course, his third wave of doubt (evil demon) undermines even the argument from the painter analogy. Certainly, the evil demon thought experiment leaves us sceptical about the existence of the external world. It is slightly less clear whether Descartes thinks that the evil demon thought experiment undermines analytic/logical truths, but it's arguable (and imo true) that he does conceive of the evil demon thought experiment as making us utterly 'global' sceptics.
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