Question 1

According to Descartes's physics,the entire physical universe is made up of

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed in a type of dualism where there were two types of substance - the spiritual substance (mind or soul) and the physical substance. In his physics, he believed that the physical universe was made up of three kinds of particles - invisible particles of "fire," invisible particles of "air," and visible particles of material "earth." These particles moved around in a void, which he believed was necessary to explain how they didn't collide with each other all the time.

Question 2

Descartes accounted mechanistically for emotional influences on behavior by postulating

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed that emotions were caused by movements or "commotions" in the reservoir of animal spirits which were responsible for transmitting messages between the brain and the muscles. These movements could be triggered by external stimuli or the mind's own thoughts, and they could influence behavior in a mechanistic way.

Question 3

In Descartes's theory of the reflex mechanism,stimuli are transmitted to the brain by means of __________,and responses are initiated by __________.

Accepted Answer

According to Descartes's theory of the reflex mechanism, stimuli are transmitted to the brain through "tugs and pulls on filaments through nerves" which are connected to the muscles. The responses are initiated by the "flow of animal spirits through the nerves and into the muscles." Therefore, the best choice is C.

Question 4

When Descartes found he could doubt everything except the reality of his doubting itself,he gained immediate reassurance of the

Accepted Answer

When Descartes realized that even his senses could deceive him, he found solace in the fact that he was still able to doubt, and therefore think. This led him to the conclusion that his rational mind was a more reliable source of knowledge than his senses or perceptions, which allowed him to establish the reality of his own existence as a thinking being. Therefore, the best choice is C, the reality of his rational mind.

Question 5

According to Galileo,the characteristics of material particles-shape,quantity,and motion-were called

Accepted Answer

Galileo believed that the primary qualities of material particles were objective and measurable characteristics such as shape, quantity, and motion. He contrasted these with secondary qualities, such as color, taste, and smell, which he considered to be subjective and dependent on the observer. Galileo did not use the terms "innate" or "rational" qualities to describe material particles.

Question 6

The hydraulically operated mechanical statues at St.Germain were important to Descartes because

Accepted Answer

The hydraulically operated mechanical statues at St. Germain suggested the idea that animal bodies could be understood mechanistically as automata, which was important to Descartes' idea of understanding the body as a machine.

Question 7

In the Treatise of Man,Descartes provided mechanistic explanations for all the following functions EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed that reason was a unique function of the mind and could not be fully explained by mechanistic principles.

Question 8

Descartes's mathematical invention,which integrated algebra and geometry,is called

Accepted Answer

Descartes's mathematical invention that integrated algebra and geometry is commonly known as analytic geometry.

Question 9

The only "simple natures" Descartes discerned when he applied his method to the analysis of the physical world were the concepts of

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed that the physical world could be reduced to two fundamental "simple natures": extension (the property of taking up space) and motion (the property of changing position). He did not see subjects and objects, sensations and perceptions, or minds and bodies as fundamental building blocks of the physical world.

Question 10

Descartes believed that animals were

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed that animals were mechanical automata, lacking consciousness. He argued that animals did not have a mind or soul, and that their actions were simply the result of complex reflexes and automatic responses to stimuli.

Question 11

Where did Descartes localize the most important interactions between the body and the soul?

Accepted Answer

Descartes localized the most important interactions between the body and the soul in the pineal gland, which he believed to be the only structure in the brain that was not bilaterally symmetrical and therefore unique enough to house the interface between the physical body and the non-physical mind.

Question 12

Since Descartes's time,research has shown that

Accepted Answer

While Descartes's theory of bodily mechanism was inaccurate in certain aspects, it provided substantial implications for research on the mind-body relationship. The idea that the body could be understood through a mechanistic perspective led to numerous advances in physiology, such as investigating how electrical signals are transmitted in neurons. Additionally, Descartes's dualist philosophy set the stage for further inquiry into the relationship between the physical body and the non-physical mind.

Question 13

Descartes believed that the

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed in the idea of mind-body dualism, where the mind is a distinct entity from the body. He also believed that the body and mind interact with each other and mutually influence each other, with neither always dominating. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Question 14

The first rule of Descartes's method,providing the equivalent of the geometric axioms,was to

Accepted Answer

The first rule of Descartes's method was to doubt everything, including sensory perceptions and preconceived beliefs, in order to arrive at indubitable knowledge.

Question 15

Galileo defined secondary qualities as

Accepted Answer

Galileo defined secondary qualities as qualities that do not reside inherently in matter but arise only after the primary qualities impinge on the human senses. Secondary qualities include color, taste, and sound, which depend on subjective perception and interpretation. Primary qualities, on the other hand, are objective and can be measured, such as shape, quantity, and motion.

Question 16

The ideas that young Descartes had at Ulm,which transformed his life and really started him on his vocation as a philosopher and scientist,were primarily about

Accepted Answer

Descartes' transformative ideas at Ulm were primarily about developing a method for obtaining knowledge, which laid the foundation for his work as a philosopher and scientist. This method emphasized doubt and systematic questioning as means to achieve certainty.

Question 17

Descartes believed that concepts such as "unity," "infinity," or "perfection," which cannot be represented by single sensory impressions,were which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed that these concepts were innate ideas of the rational soul, meaning that they were inherent within us from the moment of our creation. He argued that the mind was capable of grasping these concepts without relying on sensory experience.

Question 18

Descartes hypothesized that the state of __________ occurs when the brain is relatively emptied of animal spirits,so that its nerve fibers are slack and only infrequently capable of transmitting stimulation.

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed that the state of sleep and dreaming occurred when the brain was relatively emptied of animal spirits, causing the nerve fibers to be slack and infrequently capable of transmitting stimulation.

Question 19

Descartes hypothesized that when the pineal gland is moved by eddies and currents in the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds it,

Accepted Answer

Descartes believed that the pineal gland was the seat of the soul and that when it was moved by eddies and currents in the cerebrospinal fluid, the soul became conscious of a passion.

Question 20

According to Descartes's theory of visual perception,the

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Descartes's theory of visual perception,the
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Quiz 3: Pioneering Philosophers of Mind: Descartes, Locke, and Leibniz