Of course, science and arts are very important, but maybe in the future the scientists will discover something new, something what debunks our current beliefs?... What is more, you can’t
Trang 1The world we see: the truth or the dream?
Rene Descartes _ born in 1596 in France He _ in jesuits’ school
in La Fleche He a lawyer and a soldier He in some battles in Holland But one day, he _ himself a fascinating question:
‘What can I know for sure? In what can I absolutely trust? What
is beyond any doubt?’
He _ we can’t trust our eyes, ears, hands They sometimes _ on
us And if somebody on you once, you can never be absolutely trust he is right So, Descartes _, you can’t be sure that what you see or hear is absolutely true
Then Descartes if we can trust in science Of course, science and arts are very important, but maybe in the future the scientists will discover something new, something what debunks our current beliefs?
Trang 2What is more, you can’t even be sure that what happens to you is real Maybe it’s just a dream If you a very realistic dream in the past, how can you be sure that you _ now?
‘What if … Just IF tere is a malicious demon which keeps our brains in his lab and shows us our life as a film?’
Scared? Yes, this vision is terrible But luckily, Descartes a way out Even
if the malicious demon _ a nasty joke on you, YOU exist! If you _, you exist! So:
If you think that means that you exist!
‘Cogito ergo sum’
So Descartes _ that real you is not your body, but your mind Because what you think is 100 % sure, it’s beyond any doubt Then, he , that Maths is the most reliable science – because two plus two always equals four, it never
Even if the world collapses, laws of Maths will always stay true
He was also very interested in medicine, physics and psychology The queen of Sweden was his fan She _ him to give her lectures, so he _ to Sweden to be Her teacher But she wanted the lessons to start very early in the morning Descartes was a great sleeper and he _ much! He died in 1650 in Stockholm
say * cheat x2 * be * wonder * doubt * fight * sufler * play * dream (negative) * ask x2 * conclude * discover * know * study * become * find * change * come
1 Match
to be right poza wszelką wątpliwością
debunk a belief znaleźć drogę wyjścia
find a way out fascynujące pytanie
play a nasty joke najbardziej wiarygodna nauka
beyond any doubt pozostać prawdziwym, zachować prawdziwość
stay true obalić przekonanie
terrible vision robić paskudny kawał
fascinating qestion okropna wizja
the most reliable science mieć rację
Trang 32 Decide (true/false)
a) Descartes was an American
b) Descartes believed in a malicious demon
c) Biology is the most reliable science
d) If you exist, that means that you think
e) Descartes wanted to find something chich is beyond any doubt f) A malicious demon is just a mental experiment
3 Answer the questions:
a) Where was Descartes born?
b) What important person liked Descartes very much?
c) Seventeen plus twenty – one equals … what?
d) Why can’t you trust your eyes?
e) What were Descartes’ jobs?
f) ‘Cogito ergo sum’ – what does it mean?
g) What was the most import ant question Descartes asked himself? h) What was he interested in?