Descates
Descartes Essay
Descartes is known as the father of modern philosophy, yet he is often ridiculed for his views on animals. Descartes argues that animals might act as if they are capable of conscious thought but are in fact not, and by extension he uses this to attempt to prove that animals lack souls.
Descartes believed that free will was a requirement for a soul, and the high degree of perfection displayed in some animals' actions pointed towards a lack of free will. Even though a clock can perfectly keep time, it obviously has no free will or soul and is ruled by its function. Therefore, the ability of an animal to complete complex tasks in no way proves the existence of a soul, and shows that animals are ruled by their instincts. In other words, Descartes feels that animals are ruled by their function. In addition, Descartes uses the superiority of animals in some areas to his advantage by highlighting the alteration between seemingly brilliant moves and rather stupid......
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Approximate Word Count: 325
Approximate Pages: 2 (250 words per double-spaced page)
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