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HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS.
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Discusses how human beings know what they know.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Discusses how human beings know what they know. Compares views of Rene Descartes and John Locke. Descartes view of human consciousness, knowledge of reality and existence. Concept of innate ideas. Locke's view of an extended reality perceived by the senses.

Paper Introduction:
The question of the source of human consciousness has been present in philosophy from its earliest stages, and contrasting views of how human beings know what they know develop in the works on human cognition, or understanding by René Descartes (1596-1650) and John Locke (1632-1704). Simply because of chronology, Locke's views can be considered a response to--and rebuttal of--Descartes. Moreover, even though Descartes provides one of the most famous sayings in all of philosophy (cogito ergo sum; I think, therefore I am/exist), and even though Descartes is very methodical in his presentation of ideas, Locke's rebuttal offers a more coherent, tangible, and comprehensive account of the condition of rational beings. Descartes' view of human consciousness and knowledge of reality and existence as being properties of the solely of the mind

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For the waxas a palpable thing will still be there whether anybody is thinking aboutit or not. The question of the source of human consciousness has been present inphilosophy from its earliest stages, and contrasting views of how humanbeings know what they know develop in the works on human cognition, orunderstanding by René Descartes (1596-165 ) and John Locke (1632-17 4).Simply because of chronology, Locke's views can be considered a response to--and rebuttal of--Descartes. What makes this account of cognition inadequate is thatit ignores physical reality, which the individual continually encountersand against which the individual defines self as distinct from "other." Itis true that Descartes goes in to some detail about different categories ofthought (innate, imaginative, external). In the Meditations, he starts bysuggesting that nothing exists and thinks he cannot know that or how heknows anything really exists. Cress. Using reason and refining the reason arenothing else than formulations of the project of learning throughexperience. Locke's view that extended reality as perceived by the senses has arole in determining what is known is a better picture of how the mind wordsand how human rationality operates in the extended world. Only theintuition of the human mind can contain the overarching idea of the wax, inits variety of palpable forms. . In other words it makes senseto doubt sense experience, and to doubt is an act of pure thinking, whichseems to reconfirm the special province of thought as opposed to extended(material) reality. Many minds will never comprehend the realproperties of a lump (bowl) of wax, but that represents rather a failure ofcompetent cognition than a proof that it is the only reality. Indianapolis, Inc.: Hackett,1993. I am therefore precisely nothing but a thinking thing; that is, a mind, or intellect, or understanding, or reason . But the cogito ergo sum is reallythe heart of the problem. Experience does not create knowledge even though it can makeknowledge clearer. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Descartes' view of human consciousness and knowledge of reality andexistence as being properties of the solely of the mind and not of theobjects contemplated by the mind is an inadequate account of either thehuman mind or of the objects contemplated. But even that shows the supremacy of the mind. Trans. Thetrouble is, the mind arrives at consciousness based on how it hasdeveloped: "To say a notion is imprinted on the mind, and yet at the sametime to say that the mind is ignorant of it and never yet took notice ofit, is to make this impression nothing" (13). Locke, John. Donald A. What the reason discovers when it applies thought processes tounfolding experience is knowledge. Without such experience to mediate and stimulate the mentalprocesses, there would be little for the mind to do, still less opportunityfor it to develop. If ideas do come fromwithout they cannot be trusted--are not real--until the mind has entirelycome to terms with them and made them clear. It isimpossible for human rationality to become so refined or disembodied fromits material host as to make its material, experiential constituentsirrelevant to itself. Pure spirit as an idea may have some poeticalattraction, but the functioning human mind is situated somewhere. That could not have been innate, for ifit were there would have been no need of discovery. It fuses the ego (selfhood) with existence(existence). The mind develops by way ofexperience and perception, which have to do with the projection of the selfinto the world and the way the world projects itself into humanconsciousness. Ego and existence may encounter each other as experienceunfolds, but if they are distinct and not fused, then Descartes' focus onthought as the primary reality is incomplete on one hand and an act ofmisidentification on the other. . If he can doubt and think, it follows that at least one thing exists:the mind. It remains for reason to go by trial and error, or with thehelp of parental inputs, to sort out the wash of perceptions coming itsway. Locke's view ofwhat is innate is what is imprinted on the mind (12-13), and if it isimprinted on the mind, the mind would obviously be conscious of it. The oppositeis the case, as shown by Descartes' example of the lump of wax, which maytransform into solid and liquid and which therefore cannot convey its realattributes. a thing that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses, and that also imagines and senses (Descartes 65-6).Thus ideas are innate; they do not come from without. Works Cited Descartes, Rene. Moreover, even though Descartes provides oneof the most famous sayings in all of philosophy (cogito ergo sum; I think,therefore I am/exist), and even though Descartes is very methodical in hispresentation of ideas, Locke's rebuttal offers a more coherent, tangible,and comprehensive account of the condition of rational beings. It may be objected that Locke's views do not disprove that experiencecreates knowledge or that sense perception cannot be trusted. 3rd ed. It is a contradiction"to say, that men know and know them [truths] not at the same time" (15). Answer: The fact that the conscious mind can contemplate a variety offorms and can even contemplate itself does not mean that extended realityis a chimera or that the mind is a collection of innate imprints justwanting to be freed from bondage. But then immediately he presents the oppositeidea: "But doubtless I did exist, if I persuaded myself of something" (64).For a moment he speculates that perhaps a demonic god is trying to trickhim; however, he realizes that speculation itself is thought, which means(to Descartes) that "thought exists; it alone cannot be separated from me"(65). London: GeorgeRoutledge and Sons Limited, 19 4. The mind is necessary, yes, and so is reason, which is anattribute of mental states. Discourse on Method and Meditations on FirstPhilosophy.

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