René Descartes - Meditation #1 - The Method of Doubt

[@jarthur8428]

Finally someone, specific, methodological, smart, good teacher, and as if that were not enough, with a neon blackboard!!!!!!!

[@profjeffreykaplan]

Thanks!

[@kingstondouglas3488]

You all prolly dont care at all but does any of you know a way to log back into an instagram account? I somehow forgot the login password. I appreciate any tips you can give me.

[@justindrew6560]

@Kingston Douglas instablaster ;)

[@SuperMessi88]

He was dismissive on some facts. Not good.

[@shubhamtiwari7191]

Absolutely right man ...

[@abdullahkhaled3530]

What makes these lectures unique and interesting for me is that Jeffrey explains concepts in simple terms, as they should be, without resorting to jargon or using "sophisticated" words merely to flex his intellectual ability, as many others do (either consciously or unconsciously).

[@sadafialvi]

I'm a student of Philosophy from Pakistan and you, sir, are a life saver. This is by far the best explanation on the subject. Thank you so much!

[@aymanndiarassouba6494]

Hello

[@abc_creation260]

Hey would you suggest me some questions from Descartes meditation???

[@MrDaajani]

dude Jeffrey I'm eternally grateful to u I study Politics, philosophy and Law. When i had a Jurisprudence essay, I found you, and now, I have an essay on Cartesian Philosophy and here u are again, explaining, and simplyifing everything.. Tanks bro&keep it up

[@profjeffreykaplan]

Glad that I could help! The videos are all organized in the playlist section of my KZbin page, if that's helpful as well.

[@dinaraaben4797]

You've literally saved my life!!! Thank you so much for "employing all your energies" to explain us philosophy!!! God bless you

[@alexisjones419]

This is what I call HIGH-QUALITY lecture material.

[@empassante1]

Amazing work. You speak so naturally and makes things so simple that makes me suspect that even your "whatevers" are planned.

[@ZeyadShoman]

I Usually don't comment on teaching videos but this vid. Is the defention of perfection.

[@aryabhardwaj4141]

Thank you so much. Your video has helped me understand the text way better than I did, I watched the video and went back to the text to understand it way better. Online classes haven't been the best but watching your videos has made kept me sane to date. Thank you, I hope I get to learn from professors like you next semester.

[@GrumpyCat-mw5xl]

I went to Oregon state university back in 1985 and didn’t have to but took philosophy as my humanities elective. I wanted to expand my mind I wasn’t concerned about taking the easiest course for grades. The philosophy program there at the time was known for not being an easy A. I took 3 courses and got got 2 B’s and the 3 rd one was the philosophy of math and got a D. The instructors were terrible. They would say a bunch of nothing at lecture then make a test about who knows what and feel superior because they were hard on students. I may have got 2 B’s and a D but I give them an F. Now this professor Kaplan is outstanding instructor I give him an A+. Much more along the lines of what I was looking for when I took my philosophy back in college.

[@rika8285]

you are a god! thank you for being clear and thorough with your teaching! i wish more teachers are like you

[@martinbennett2228]

I also teach the méditations métaphysiques and would like to add a couple of points. Overall the work is one of the most extraordinary in literature because it operates on multiple levels. It is very frequently presented as a philosophical text; indeed it does present Descartes- philosophy, but it is also self evidently a work of fiction; he has invented the philosophical novel. To believe otherwise would be to believe that over a period of six days Descartes reconstructs the whole of philosophy (and presumably rests on the seventh day!). More specifically on the malevolent demon, I think this is best read as an allegory for the possibility that the mind might be messed up, this could be by drugs, hypnotism possibly or more importantly by lesions to the brain that systemically produce mistakes. These are now well documented in clinical neuroscience. By the way, thumbs up for your presentation.

[@martinbennett2228]

@Chet Senior About any possible disorder to the mind.

[@MugenTJ]

The same Descartes believed in the separation of mind and body, and that god exists, leading me to think Descartes was being a magician, pretending to cast doubt on everything, then to sell us the existence of the soul, mathematics , and god. When none of them are real things. How ironic, if he was sincere. Don’t get me wrong, he was a good thinker, nevertheless deeply influenced by the doctrines of his time.

[@martinbennett2228]

@@MugenTJ Persuaded by the primacy of thought over sensory experience, Descartes was a rationalist and a dualist, the rational existence of mathematics is inevitable; his account of the soul "je m´imaginais qu'elle était quelque chose d'extrêmement rare et subtil, comme un vent, une flamme ou un air très délié (rarefied)" portrays it as extremey insubstantial: it is as though he does not want to completely deny any material quality for it; for God he resorts (mostly) to a strange, rationalist, immaterial final cause argument. Did Descartes really believe his God arguments? We know he knew that denying God's existence would have been lethal, so it is hard to be sure at that level. He did, however, need to invoke God in order to escape the solipsism of his existence as 'a thinking thing'. Where 'magic' is involved is in his dualism, how the immaterial world of ideas somehow manages to have material effects.

[@fluxo_musical]

I've been to this text a lot, but I must say that I've also learned a whole lot more from this video series. You are such an excelent teacher! Those deep and continuous explanations really help to break the dense philosophical ideas that pertain to Descartes. Thank you!

[@benjaminbeard3736]

I've never taken too deep of a dive into most philosophers. This is my sixth video of yours without a break. Now I've got at least five more.

[@troycampbell7408]

This man’s ability to write backwards on glass is amazing! When I realized that he was writing backwards so that the audience facing him could read it, I was floored.

[@jenniferpellissier8337]

I was thinking the exact same thing ! is he actually writing backwards ?

[@viktorheylen9575]

I believe he mirrors his videos, otherwise, what a talent this man has

[@z3lurmorg]

Yep, the videos are mirrored

[@vytasffbismarck7001]

really embarrassed i couldn't figure out the mirroring edit trick in my mind, kinda silly considering the course is supposed to improve thinking and logic and i can't even figure that out lols

[@emrald2000]

@@vytasffbismarck7001 thats what the omnipotent demon wants you to think

[@alllowercase6277]

thank you for this, I intend on watching them all. i like how when you don't know something, exact year etc, you just say..."whatever," it's comical, relatable and refreshing.

[@Thouxanbangeo]

Thank you for helping me pass my exam today! Best wishes.😊

[@shantanuchaturvedi343]

We could be so much equipped with peace and happiness until such knowledge knocks our doors with a commander like you to impart the absolute beauty of wisdom and inculcate in us the very foundation of a reasoning ability which would serve as the absolute Lense of perceiving the world. The arsenal of thoughtfulness we synchronize our every breath with is undoubtedly the profoundness of a TEACHER in our lives. Thank you, sir, for this. This here would be the sole proof fundamental in my persuasion of the world for how the social media could be so rewarding sometimes, such rewards are lifeward. I wish you good health sir. 😄

[@catdrnan]

Please tell me how you write everything backwards. I understand Descartes better than I understand how you are writing backwards.

[@advogado3118]

Prof. Kaplan is one of the most erudite guides into the otherwise impenetrable that I’ve had as a student.

[@GalaOrka]

Thank you so very much! You're the best philosophy lecturer I've seen. 🌺

[@AnnaFuschiaScott]

You are so animated, thank you for this wonderful breakdown of his first Meditation!

[@planetary-rendez-vous]

Time to learn philosophy! So grateful to have found the channel.

[@travisryan6545]

Many of the great movie in the last 100 years makes use of Decartes' "Method of Doubt" - Wizard of Oz, The Matrix, Inception, Fight Club etc

[@antoinemozart243]

Don't forget Ridley Scott 's Blade Runner and Deckart ( Descartes).

[@sanamir9886]

You’re a great teacher. Thanks for sharing these. Making my philosophy course easier and more interesting.

[@auresplayz6658]

Very thorough and clear explanation done in the utmost logical order.

[@anshuuu9708]

Mann,i am hooked to these lectures, I wish he was my professor, i would even attend University on Sundays,legit.

[@yashwarrior5231]

One of the best teacher you are ,thank you ,thank you going to consume you alot 🙏❤️

[@muhammadkahfidarmawan8769]

You’re my favorite person in this platform!

[@rogerdudra178]

Greetings from the BIG SKY. When I 1st attended Colorado College, I had to read Rene' Descarte's stuff. Hard reading for a Montana kid.

[@helenpappas8340]

Jeffery you are adorable and brilliant, I love learning and listening to your lectures❤️

[@pabli4750]

You are a great instructor, thank you for this philosophy video.

[@westerbeck8229]

Absolutely invaluable stuff here, much appreciated!!!

[@Gnaw85]

Thank you! You explain it so much better than my philosophy professor. I wish you were my professor.

[@profjeffreykaplan]

Thanks for the kind words. And glad I could help!

[@vmasci1212]

Amazing pedagogical skills! Thanks for these explanations.

[@thomascook3544]

wow this is wonderful. So glad I found this channel.

[@lilDemo808]

I have an exam about anthropology and Descartes first and second meditation tomorrow, this helped a lot. Thanks mate. PS: This made me laugh way harder then it should have 32:44

[@profjeffreykaplan]

Glad I could help!

[@brucestunkard2893]

I too appreciate the clarity of the lecturer. After listening to the first lecture on Descartes First Meditation I think Ive got a grasp of Descartes project and his method of doubt. That said Im baffled by the lecturers conclusion that all Descartes beliefs have been doubted. Didn’t Descartes say that an all powerful demon might be able to deceive him but not God who is good. If I heard right then Rene has not doubted his belief in God. Or did I miss something which is quite possible. Id appreciate anyone correcting me if this is not so because if I got this right then Im not certain whether to believe the lecturer in his following lectures.

[@muhammadyahya3673]

That was a great lecture. Thanks!

[@perpetual989]

Pedagogical wizard we salute you 🫡

[@olivia-ld9mf]

I love you, respectively.

[@thestoiclion5459]

thank you so much for this, much to learn!

[@halitozgur6166]

Michael Sugrue and Jeffrey Kaplan 👑

[@Naveendogra92]

i just found it really helpful from India

[@theobolt250]

Funny thing, you can consider this work by Descartes as the kick off for a proces that eventually lead to the certainty that God does not exist. Good work, Rene. 😁😁

[@PaulMcMinotaur]

This is the best thing on KZbin. I want to take the exam, and I’m not even in the class! (Just kidding… I don’t really want to take the exam)

[@MrElderberries]

I don't believe anyone could write any better backwards, than this guy.

[@johnlewis5330]

The video is flipped...he's right handed.

[@roynalsj]

Very clear explanation. Thank you so much, Sir. This video was very helpful.

[@randallmacdonald4851]

Ha! Without looking ahead on the list of lectures, I could see that "Cogito; ergo, sum" was coming next. (I'd thought about just that concept years ago.) I think I'm beginning to enjoy Philosophy thanks to Professor Kaplan.

[@desmondouckama558]

if you're dreaming, there have been studies done, where in order to discern your (lucid) dream from reality, you can test to see if you have control over the lighting, but turning a light switch on or off, if you are dreaming, the lighting will be difficult to change

[@Ramsey-cl3se]

Simply expressed the complex philosophical thoughts

[@mileskeller5244]

You are hands down the funniest Philosopher 🤣 I was dying when you said "french pajamas or whatever".

[@sheepshark]

This was so perfect, thank you so much. I understand the material so much better with your teaching style and tech.

[@letsdeveloptogether3213]

Really great work! Thanks!

[@profjeffreykaplan]

Glad you liked it!

[@scottgarber8046]

My senses do not deceive me; the knowledge I reference to process those sensory inputs does. Therefore, I should either never trust my own knowledge or never trust my capability to use it.

[@chloed2093]

This was certainly useful!

[@acediaow2852]

I think in this case senses would “mislead” rather than “deceive.”

[@geraldoramon325]

Estoy asistiendo por el subtitulo en español gracias por por el contenido!!

[@merikijiya13]

Fantástico!!! I love this channel.

[@sarojinigiri9898]

Love from India ❤😊

[@sarahwajdi7428]

Thank u dr❤🇯🇴

[@andressuva3068]

I think; therefore, I am exist.

[@MsJavaWolf]

8:00 I guess we could argue from a mathematical view, that there are infinitely many beliefs. For all natural numbers, I believe that they are greater than 0, and since there are infinitely many natural numbers, there are infinitely many beliefs.

[@thisisaemmu2077]

Thank you❤

[@elbacr9501]

Proof that studying philosophy isn't about learning about life but is a study of the history of human thought: gods and malsicious demons! Really!

[@samipersun9995]

That gramma example aged like a fine wine with Netflix’s Cleopatra

[@Teachernyc]

Colors and those who are blind make me wonder if colors do exist. If they do how do we define that.

[@ALTR.555]

When talking about being unable to discern with certainty whether or not one is dreaming, this would render lucid dreaming impossible, and yet it is. Or seems to be. Unless people are only dreaming that it is possible

[@ratanlalgupta2698]

Hi sir, u teaching great but I am not able to read what u written on board can u plz do something for that so that I can clear read . U TEACHING REALLY GREAT

[@rosepurdy6301]

Big fan of Descartes, thanks for the vid. Teach- how did you learn to write backwards?

[@TheOmalka]

Amazing explanation ...

[@basicdose.9872]

I think therefore I am.

[@jensstolpmann7275]

Now for me, the velocity of light as 299.792.458 m/s is 100 % true. That is, because that is how the meter is defined. If we, for whatever reason, measured a different velocity of light, this would change the length of the meter, just so that 1 m = "distance, light travels in 1 s" / (299.792.458 m/s). I think, the velocity of light is a bad example, for what you men.

[@peterescapement6414]

If we take seriously the idea that many people can tell they are dreaming (people mentioned lucid dreaming, also people can’t read in dreams), then where does this leave all this stuff on the senses. Does it mean that “big things near to me” are now in the certain category? I guess then just the tricky demon would be tricking us instead.

[@viktorheylen9575]

our class has a seminar that is currently focusing on 'discourse on the method' and it took me way too long to realize i was watching the wrong video lmao

[@kuki.256]

Love it❤️❤️

[@Akael01]

Prove my hands are real!

[@karelvorster7414]

Descartes' philosophy began with a mystical experience. I don't know why nobody mentions that biographical fact.

[@alexandercohenphd]

Seems like Descartes' "method of doubt" is similar to Russell's sets?

[@Allusionistics]

Programming a timer to awaken you during REM sleep can and will induce lucid dreams. If you use the timer as a reminder of the dream state to remember your dreams. All of which must be written down upon Awakening, immediately or you lose 80 percent of your dream. Emotion control in your dreams reveals more than unconscious decisions in the unconscious.

[@ausseamore8386]

If I were today write some of my musings about philosophy in Latin would that give them more gravitas? Can one talk about a bunch of over self-inflated group of people, who have nothing better to do and have ALL day to do such?

[@udbhavmehta4787]

love u bro

[@chrisduncan1647]

So is it a mirror, or a plane of glass, and you're just really good at writing in reverse?

[@martinheritagegroup]

I can wake myself up in a dream.

[@ausseamore8386]

Rene` would be better understood if we take the word/term beliefs as he used it and substitute with the terms data and or information which can be accumulated or disregard and use the word belief or unbelief as a function of mind that occur when it accepts or rejects the information presented to the mind. Where as in some mathematical function the inputs may vary yet the function remains the same.

[@sufy3677]

Thanks. epistemology according to Plato it is justify a true belief but I read there is a philosopher from the 20th century that he refuted this definition. Could I ask about it please. My respect.

[@ausseamore8386]

Again, what is the source of ones certainty? Is it the "certainty of the evidence" from the guarantor of such? Is not the belief in, the faith in, the trust in, the hope in something and or someone that is accepted as greater than oneself, that is the principle modus operand of obtaining knowledge? If, this be the case can mere human fail reasoning, rational though processes be the sole guarantor as to what we ought to believe and disbelieve -doubt? Whereby the knowledge we seek to obtain is indeed good and NOT evil?

[@quaintgamestudio6149]

3 exist before us and before our senses.

[@朱俊伟-e4e]

if I want study English， could I use his video？ I wanna know does his expression suit me？

[@MisterWillow]

How does this board work? One possibility: Kaplan can write in mirror and the camera is just simply behind the plastic transparant 'blackboard'.

[@alainremi267]

He was filmed as usual. The cameraman saw Jeffrey Kaplan writting from right to left but, at the post-production, they just switched all images left to right, it's a kid's game on a professional video computer!

[@1loveMusic2003]

So your not left handed and you flip the image so the writing isn't backwards for the viewer right?

[@omenznc]

Loved the Video Professor Kaplan it helped a lot! - Michael Wiktorek

[@profjeffreykaplan]

Glad it helped! check out the playlists section of my youtube channel for the organized list of the Descartes videos, and my other videos.

[@isobelstuart528]

Rene Descartes says he cannot doubt colours. However, colour perception is said to be different in strength for different people and animals. For example, a cat's perception of the world may be grey whereas my perception of the world is colourful. I may look in the distance and think the colour of a house is red but when I go closer its actually pink. Then again, if it is shady the colour changes. I guess this refers to the wax argument, when form and colour does not change the original element of an object. Wax that is solid is still wax when it is solidified.

[@antoinemozart243]

Descartes said : I René Descartes cannot doubt colours which is different from what you say.

[@davidwilkie9551]

So this narrative would be a standard example of "who am I?" Without understanding e-Pi-i modulation mechanism cause-effect of log-antilog Conformal Field Condensation Correspondences.., ie Singularity-point positioning in reciprocation-recirculation or musical measures attribution, before applying pure dynamic relative-timing quantization logic.

[@chahd1203]

English please?

[@maksman.maurice]

Well explained

[@morganga]

Why didn't Mr Descartes doubt that he was a singular entity?

[@ausseamore8386]

My question to Rene` Descartes is; what is it that you are seek to obtain, get at here? Let us assume here it is knowledge, the awareness of that which is. And take special note, for that which is, is both truthful and not truthful, both good and evil as this is the nature of Reality from whence there is NO escaping except by losing our minds to the wilderness of insanity. What humanity calls knowledge, the awareness of anything of Reality be it tangible or intangible, requires humanity to believe in, trust in hope in, have faith in, something and or someone greater than itself (from birth to the grave). As the words/terms usages often in contextual demarcation all seek to convey the SAME IDEA that there is a functionality in and of the human mind to accept something presented to it as either trustworthy or to reject as untruthful which is always a choice as Reality is the source of all possible choices both good and evil. Human knowledge is NOT base on evidence nor "proof" as is often the case many will refute and refuse to accept any and all evidence that does not conform to their cherished bias. For what is called evidence is just a ways to present some argumentized view of Reality that is biased by the belief, the faith, the hope that is current functioning within the mind. How often have the mind change its stance on some matter at hand base of who one is willing to believe, to trust, to have faith in and hope in regardless to the apparent evidence? The converse is also true, that we may readily reject "sound evidence" simply because there is NO trust, no faith, no belief in the one who presents some view of Reality? I lots more to say but I am NOT scholarly nor mildly educated to write a book in English, and far-far less in Latin🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Mihi ^ est Rene` Cartesius; quid est, quod petis, ut hic accedas? Ponamus hic scientiam, id quod est conscientia. Et vide, quia id quod est, et verum est et non verum, et bonum et malum, sicut hoc est rerum natura, unde non est evadendi nisi perdendo mentes nostras in solitudinem insanie. Quod humanitas scientiam vocat, conscientia rei cuiuslibet rei tangibilis vel intangibilis sit, humanitatem requirit ut credatur, spe confidat, fidem habeat, aliquid et se maiorem (ab utero ad inferos). Sicut verba/verborum usus saepe in contextual notatione utuntur omnes eandem notionem ingerere quaerunt, functionem esse in animoque humano, aliquid sibi oblatum accipere vel fidele vel repudiare ut falsum, quod semper eligit sicut res est. fons omnium electionum possibilium tam bonorum quam malorum. Humana cognitio non est fundata testimoniis nec "probatio", ut saepe fit, multi refutant ac negant quaevis et omnia argumenta quae suo studio non conformantur. Testimonium enim appellatur modi quoddam argumentum argumenti ad exhibendum realitatis aspectum, quod fides, fides, spes quae in mente versatur operatur. Quoties mens suam substantiam in aliqua re prope turpia habet, quis velit credere, credere, fidem habere, et sperare pro evidenti testimonio? Vicissim etiam verum est, ut facile rejiciamus "sanum testimonium" simpliciter, quia nulla est fiducia, nulla fides, nulla fides in eo qui aliquam rerum sententiam exhibet? 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

[@kurtissutley1485]

But doesn't the possibility that there is no "all powerful malicious demon" create a paradox with his third principle?

[@mjsmcd]

I'm doubting understanding this

[@reznet2]

Problem with Descartes' objection to the senses is that it is incorrect. The spider example actually shows that the senses are correct but 1) have limitations (namely the resolution and perspective) and 2) can be misinterpreted by the mind. Interpretation is a willful judgement made about something so here we can see that the judgement based on the data is incorrect (and funny enough the same senses used to doubt such an event are also used to verify it which points to an obvious contradiction - namely how can one both trust and distrust a source simultaneously 😂). To distrust the senses based on their limitedness is equivalent to distrusting the mind since it is limited in it's ability to perceive the truth. In other words, just because we wrongly think something does not exclude us from rightly thinking of something else. Descartes' conclusion on throwing out trust of the senses is therefore flawed.