Unit 10: Prescribed texts (open-book Paper 2)
Topic 10.3: Meditations on First Philosophy — Descartes Questions
Practice 20 exam-style questions for IB Philosophy Topic 10.3. Review the question stems below, then unlock the full Question Bank to access markschemes, model answers, and AI grading.
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The 'Cartesian circle' objection says that Descartes:
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True or false? The cogito proves that you have a body.
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What does the cogito actually prove?
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The dream argument makes the point that:
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True or false? Descartes doubts everything because he genuinely wants to give up on knowledge.
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The cogito ('I think, therefore I am') survives the evil-demon doubt because:
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In the wax argument, what tells Descartes it's the SAME wax after it melts?
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The wax argument is meant to show that:
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Descartes' 'clear and distinct' argument concludes mind and body are distinct because:
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The cogito is certain, but Descartes notes it is certain:
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True or false? For Descartes, the mind is defined by thinking and the body by extension (taking up space).
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Why does Descartes need to prove that God exists?
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Once a non-deceiving God is in place, Descartes concludes that:
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The 'interaction problem' is a difficulty for dualism because:
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The Latin phrase 'cogito, ergo sum' translates as:
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A key premise of the trademark argument is that:
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Which parts of Descartes' system are usually judged to survive best?
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True or false? A strong Paper-2 part (b) answer must reach a reasoned judgement, not just describe Descartes.
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The doubt in Meditation I is 'methodological', meaning it is:
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