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Inception and Descartes' Skeptical Problem

The document discusses the philosophical issues raised by the movie Inception relating to skepticism and the nature of reality. It explores Descartes' concept of "I think therefore I am" and how we can only be certain of our own thoughts. However, Inception challenges this by suggesting we cannot be sure if our thoughts are truly our own or if they have been implanted by others through dream invasion. This links back to Descartes' skeptical problem of how to establish the existence of objective reality.

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57 views7 pages

Inception and Descartes' Skeptical Problem

The document discusses the philosophical issues raised by the movie Inception relating to skepticism and the nature of reality. It explores Descartes' concept of "I think therefore I am" and how we can only be certain of our own thoughts. However, Inception challenges this by suggesting we cannot be sure if our thoughts are truly our own or if they have been implanted by others through dream invasion. This links back to Descartes' skeptical problem of how to establish the existence of objective reality.

Uploaded by

rosalinechirishian
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Inception and Descartes’

Skeptical Problem

Instructor: Raid Samaha


Presented by: Rosaline Chirishian
Angela Diab
Overview of the movie Inception

• Definition: The act of instilling an idea into a person’s


mind by entering his/her dream.
• The film explores the characteristics of the human mind
by dream invasion. Dom Cobb is a thief that is tasked
with a tough job: Inception.
What are the philosophical issues in inception?

• What is reality?
Reality for Descartes is a matter of perception.

• What is a dream?
Dreams are from the subconscious part of the brain, they are composed
of simple things that presuppose reality.

• Skepticism
It is the state of not being in a position to know whether there is reality
or not.
How do we know if there is reality or not?
Like Inception, Descartes poses the question of reality and what is the
accepted truth. He analyzes many concepts such as “I think therefore I
am”, where he concluded that in addition to thinking he also imagines
and senses. Descartes’ definition of reality is in terms of his own
existence, and he focuses on his ability to think independently from
other living things as being part of his reality.
Descartes argument makes sense in terms of humanity but cannot be
applied to any other species or inanimate object. For instance, chairs
don't think, but they are clearly real. This brings into question Descartes
concept of I think therefore I exist.
Descartes claims that beyond our own thoughts is a reality of the
senses, and that “…there may be nothing left beyond what is
absolutely certain and indubitable” . Thus if something is not
certain, does it really exist? This is explored further in Descartes’
analysis of the wax. If a piece of wax, taken directly from a beehive,
is placed above a flame and melts, is the puddle of melted wax the
same wax as it was before? Our senses would lead us to believe that
it is not, as all the sensible qualities (taste, shape, smell, etc.) have
changed; however, our thoughts and knowledge of the wax confirm
that it is the same object, further supporting Descartes’ first claim
that we can only trust that which we know because our senses can
deceive us.

But, if everyone had the same perceptions, does that make it reality?
Are our ideas our own? Do we create them or do
they come from somewhere?

If we are able to distinguish what is true through our own thoughts and
understandings, is this concept of “I” a valid totem? You would assume the
answer to be yes; however, Inception manipulates Descartes’ concepts and once
again blurs the lines of reality. The film poses the question: How can we accept
our own thoughts as the truth when we can’t be certain the thoughts are even our
own?

If we can’t be certain that our thoughts are our own, then what is left?
Maybe this is what Cobb is referring to in the beginning of the film when
he asks, “What is the most resilient parasite?” Ideas are resilient. When
planted in our mind, they begin to form until eventually they become our
own and we forget they weren’t ours in the first place.

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