Evaluate an argument from the Bouwsma reading - Essay Example

Evaluate an Argument from the Bouwsma Reading The first argument s that if we are deceived about the world around us, either we are able to detect the deception through the five senses, or we are not able to detect the deception through the five senses. Bouwsma argues that the evil genius may deceive us quite well, but if are cautious, he cannot deceive us. This means that the evil genius can only deceive us when are not wary of the world around us. Thus, if we are able to detect deception through the five senses, we are not deceived about the world around us, but if we are not able to detect the deception through the five senses, then we are deceived about the world around us.

Therefore, this is not a valid argument since the premise is weak (Bouwsma 141)..The second argument states that if we are able to detect the deception through the five senses, then we are not deceived about the world around. Bouwsma states that if the evil genius decides to deceive us and we do not notice, we will be deceived. For instance, if he misleads us in to thinking that everything that exists in nature such as people, flowers, and trees is mere paper, we will be deceived if we do not use the five senses.

This is because the evil genius uses illusions by making things look and sound like the real things. He creates illusions because he knows they will easily make us mistake things for what they are not; thus, deceiving us. Bouwsma (144) gives an example of Tom, who experiences the illusion that everything around him is just paper. However, tom is not deceived because he to detects the illusion and differentiate the real flowers from paper. The plan of the evil genius was to make paper look so much like flowers that Tom would not tell the difference, but Tom recognized the difference.

Thus, if we are able to detect deception using the five senses, then we are not deceived about the world around. Therefore, were can conclude that this argument is valid because the premise is true (Bouwsma 145)..The third argument states that if we are not able to detect the deception through the five senses, then we are not deceived about the world around. As Bouwsma states, the evil genius uses illusions to deceive people, and for us to detect these illusions we must be able to use the five senses; thus, detect deception.

If Tom would be able to detect the illusion in these things, then he would have been deceived. However, according to, the evil genius can detect illusion. For this reason, he sees the illusion and can sense the real thing, which human beings cannot sense. Thus, the illusion that human beings sense is what the evil genius can sense. However, since we are able to detect and admit that the evil genius has a distinct sense that we do not have, he cannot be able to deceive us. Therefore, this argument is not valid because if we are not able to detect the deception through the five senses, then we are deceived about the world around us (Bouwsma 151).

The fourth argument states that we are not deceived about the world around us. However, according to Bouwsma (151), the evil genius exists and uses illusions to deceive us. He makes everything around us appear like an illusion so as to confuse us from seeing the real things; thus, we can be deceived. However, if we are able to differentiate between the illusions and the real thing, we cannot be deceived. Therefore, this argument is not valid since it does not have any premises. We are not deceived, only if we are able to use the five the senses to detect the deception, but if we cannot detect the deception, then we are deceived.

Works CitedBouwsma, O. K. DESCARTES’ EVIL GENIUS. The Philosophical Review, Vol. 58. North Carolina: Duke University Press. 2009. Print.