In this essay I will refer to the "wax argument" presented by Rene Descartes and explain that it is a valid argument, but not so sound. In Descartes argument, he observes a piece of wax, from a hive, and using his judgment and senses, analyzes the structure and properties of the wax. By doing this he gives the insight that the wax cannot be interpreted by sight, touch, or smell, but by an act of the mind that ensures that the object is real and is seen as a physical object. In this argument he attempts to illustrate the differences between judgment and perception. While showing the differences between the two, he unlocks the concept of rationalism, which is by definition the theory that there are innate ideas and that certain general propositions can be known to be true in advance of or in the absence of empirical verification. Empiricists have the idea that perception and the senses are false and misleading, which is to be expanded on throughout the paper.

In Descartes argument, he begins by removing a piece of beeswax from a hive. Perceiving the piece of wax comes from a human's senses, touch, smell, taste, hearing, and taste. By using these senses, we are able to justify that the piece of w

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Although our senses may verify that the wax is actually wax, it is not our first instinct that determines that it is actually wax. This gives us the conclusion that the concept of the wax's state is a judgment and not declared wax by perception. Our senses verify "the sweetness of the honey," the smell of "flowers" and that it is "hard, cold" and "easily handled. If you can see the wax and not, smell, touch, taste, or hear it, you are still able to determine that the object is indeed the wax. While empiricists believe that ideas and concepts come from experience, Descartes' argument of the wax proves this belief to be false. When this takes place, Descartes argues that our perception of the wax is changes. Also, the continuity of the wax is not perceived from our imagination either. Although it is no longer the same, due to our senses, it is still judged to be the exact same piece of wax. It no longer smells the same, tastes the same, looks the same, or makes the same noise if someone was to touch it's heated self. " With all of our senses working as a team to determine what objects really are, we are able to achieve a compelling foundation to unlocking the material being of any object. Through imagination the wax could appear in many different varieties, shapes, and forms.

In arguing that knowledge of the mental realm precedes knowledge of the material realm, Descartes argues that our senses cannot inform us of the continuity of the two very different states of the wax. The only problem that I can't conclude from Descartes "wax argument" is whether or not his argument is sound. Is it still wax? Why? When the wax melts, it changes forms and all of its properties that we perceived from our senses have changed.

Common topics in this essay:
Rene Descartes, piece wax, Wax Argument, wax argument, wax wax, wax senses, piece wax senses, touch smell, argument sound, descartes argument, determine object, descartes argues, senses verify,

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