Dreaming argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dreaming argument - Essay Example An argument is considered valid only if the conclusion is logically drawn from the premises. The two premises of the argument are; â€Å"I can know something about the world outside my mind only if I can know that I am not dreaming†. â€Å"I cannot know whether I am dreaming or awake†. From these two premises, the conclusion is; â€Å"Therefore, I cannot know anything about the world outside my mind†. The conclusion flows from the premises. The first premise is a statement that explains why it is impossible to know about the world outside one’s mind. It means that the world outside is only real when one is not dreaming. The second premise then indicates that the person is not able to distinguish when he is awake or dreaming. This then leads to a logical conclusion that the person cannot know anything that is real, because he does not know when to distinguish what is real and what is not. The argument is therefore valid. Premise one is true because what is outside the mind is real and one can only know of reality when one is awake. This premise can be interpreted to mean that the world outside one’s mind is unknown to the person because the mind creates everything. The mind is in control and gives the perceptions. There are two worlds according to Descartes, the dream world, and the real world. In these worlds, similar things occur, making it hard to differentiate between a dream from real life. It, therefore, gives an individual the chance to choose to live in reality or a dream. One is given the chance to decide when the experiences he is going through are real, and when the experiences are a dream. Reasons for doubting that premise one as true: The premise argues that dreams are similar to normal life experiences that people go through making it difficult for one to know when he is living through a dream or is awake. This means that dreams only focus on people’s lives and not any other thing outside an individual’s mind. Dreams