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Choose one of the following two topics, and write an essay with a minimum length of 200 words. A) How does Descartes’ method of universal doubt work? Use the example of the wax from Meditation 2 to discuss his method. What are the steps? What is the outcome? What is the gain in knowledge? Give reasons for your answer which stem from elements in the text. B)  At the beginning of the Meditations, Descartes decides to suspend all belief in order to accomplish his project. Does this make him a genuine skeptic? Explain what skepticism consists of, and then proceed from there. Assuming he does start as a skeptic, does he remain a skeptic at the end? Give reasons for your answer which stem from elements in the text.

In the Meditations, the Evil Genius is:

In Meditation 2, the Evil Genius is intended to be a negation or opposite of God’s actual existence.

What is the subject of the Meno?

The starting premise for the proof in Meditation 3 is:

In the Meno, we know the slave child is recollecting inborn knowledge of geometry because he gives detailed answers to all of Socrates’ questions.

What is necessary, for the Theory of Recollection to work?

According to Meditation 4 and the method for making mistakes, the way to avoid mistakes is to limit our understanding.

Descartes never gets to a point in the Meditations where he admits his senses and body really exist.

Descartes says humans are imperfect, and God is perfect. What bearing does this have on his proof in Meditation 3?