Explain the ‘block of wax’ example (Med II, pp. 20-21). Why does Descartes bring it up? What is it supposed to show? Use this example to develop a valid argument for what it is supposed to show. Does it show what Descartes thinks it does? Why or why not? To give context to the ‘block of wax example,’ René Descartes begins in First Meditation by acknowledging that his senses deceive him, and thus he doesn’…showed first 75 words of 655 total…

…showed last 75 words of 655 total…smell, taste, see or hear (though not necessarily ALL of the above) extended objects around us. On the other hand, we also cannot disprove that we have an innate idea, implanted by God, of the ousia of things. Because the argument includes God as the ‘author of our existence,’ that implies a certain amount of faith in the matter as well, which, for some, may strengthen the notion of inherent knowledge from a higher power.