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    Descartes' formulation of the dreaming argument is not se... — Carmelics
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    Home/Skepticism
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    Descartes' formulation of the dreaming argument is not self-refuting.

    Philosophy of LanguageSkepticism
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    1 reason for
    2 reasons against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
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    • 1.Descartes' formulation presupposes only that we do in fact make a distinction between dreaming and waking, not that we make it reliably.
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    • 2.Descartes states the relevant premise in terms of what we think of as dreams versus what we think of as waking: every sensory experience he thought he was having while awake he can also think of himself as sometimes having while asleep.
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    • 3.This formulation is compatible with the conclusion that we cannot reliably distinguish dreams and waking.
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    Reasons Against

    2 perspectives
    Reason against 1 of 2
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    • 1.The dreaming argument requires Descartes to judge that past experiences were dreams, but such judgment itself presupposes the waking rational faculty he claims to doubt.
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    • 2.Norman Malcolm argued in 'Dreaming' (1959) that dream reports are logically parasitic on waking language, making the very concept of 'dreaming while asleep' unintelligible without waking certainty.
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    • 3.If the conceptual framework distinguishing dreams from waking is itself undermined, Descartes cannot coherently formulate the premise that he 'sometimes dreams' without self-defeat.
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    Reason against 2 of 2
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    • 1.The supporting argument conflates psychological occurrence (thinking of experiences as dreams) with the logical conditions required to meaningfully deploy the dream/waking distinction.
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    • 2.Wittgenstein's private language argument implies that dream-talk derives its meaning from public, waking criteria, so invoking dreams as a skeptical tool smuggles in the very certainties it purports to dissolve.
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    Topics

    SkepticismPhilosophy of Language

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    Perception3 linked

    Related

    Descartes states the relevant premise in terms of what we think of as dreams ver...Descartes' formulation presupposes only that we do in fact make a distinction be...If the conceptual framework distinguishing dreams from waking is itself undermin...Norman Malcolm argued in 'Dreaming' (1959) that dream reports are logically para...
    +4 moreShow less
    The dreaming argument requires Descartes to judge that past experiences were dre...The supporting argument conflates psychological occurrence (thinking of experien...This formulation is compatible with the conclusion that we cannot reliably disti...Wittgenstein's private language argument implies that dream-talk derives its mea...

    Similar

    Descartes' formulation presupposes only that we do in fact make a dist...80%The thesis 'All beliefs are true' is self-refuting79%This formulation is compatible with the conclusion that we cannot reli...79%The claim 'There is no absolute truth' is self-refuting76%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: descartes-epistemology
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    Much ado has been made about whether dreaming arguments are self-refuting. According to an influential objection, similarity theses presuppose that we can reliably distinguish dreams and waking – we need first to distinguish them, in order to compare them; yet the conclusion of dreaming arguments entails that we cannot reliably distinguish. Therefore, if the conclusion of such an argument is true, then the premise invoking the Similarity Thesis cannot be. Some formulations of dreaming arguments
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (1 for, 2 against)
    Edits
    1 edit