Short Paper on Descartes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short Paper on Descartes - Essay Example For instance, it is apparent that some people have had a dream associated with instillation of pain such as the stubbing of the stomach. In relation to this assertion, Descartes believes that the pain felt by some people when dreaming is likely the same pain they will feel when awake. It is as a result of this that people fail to distinguish between the dream world and the actual world (UA 1, 2011). This broad explanation proves the reason as to why Descartes will make his conclusion about the pinch test as the unreliable test for the awake of a person. Although Descartes explanation manages to relate the happenings in the dream land with those in the actual world, it is apparent his argument against the pinch test does not rule out the pinch test as the best test for the awake of a person. This is in connection with the processes associated with pinching oneself. It is evident that the mind takes part in the pinching act. In relation to this claim, it is impossible for a person who is asleep to pinch himself or herself in order to determine if they are awake. When one is asleep, he or she thinks of either the daily happening or fantasize on other things in life. Such thoughts will not give one room to ascertain if they are awake through use of the pinch test. The thinking processes associated with pinching oneself is by itself one of the reliable tests for one’s awake. In tandem with this assertion, one can affirm that the pain instilled through pinching makes one to realize that he or she is awake. This because the pain in sulted by the pinch is communicated by the nervous system to the brain which as a result ascertain that a person is awake. In conclusion, Descartes double standard argument for the pinch test is in relation to his association of the dream land incidents with the real incidents. It is because of the similarity in occurrence of things that Descartes claims that pinch test is