Can We Be Certain of Anything? (Descartes) - 8-Bit Philosophy

Press Start for “Can We Be Certain of Anything?“ by 8-Bit Philosophy, where classic video games introduce famous thinkers, problems, and concepts with quotes, teachings, and more.

Episode 4: Can We Be Certain of Anything? (Descartes & Cartesian Doubt)

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Written & Directed by: Jared Bauer
Narrator: Nathan Lowe
Animation Producer: MB X. McClain
Academic Consultant: Mia Wood
Producer & Additional Artwork by: Jacob S. Salamon

© 2014 Wisecrack, Inc. –

[SimpleDEA]

I love the paradox of saying ''we can never be certain of anything'' we are even uncertain of that statement

[Jadguy]

good use of Kefka's laugh. Although I was expecting it in Kafka

[JohnSmith-lpku]

I love the 8 bit philosophy, but  would love a separate channel for them even more. I think it could give you more total subscribers, views, and publicity in general. It would also please my OCD.

Anyways, I'll support Thug Notes no matter what.

(Insert joke about not putting Descartes before De horse here)

[MarcianusImperator]

Oh, thank you! I have been repeating myself so many times in various comment sections trying to explain one concept or another to people who think they know everything I've started to save my arguments in a word file. Now, I can just direct them to this wonderfull series (or some episode in particular) which is so wonderfully and succinctly explained. For me, the best thing on YouTube.

[markjoshuamiguel]

"Truth is, we may never be certain of anything."

Well, is that certain? lol

[bakaiggy]

My philosophy exam is making me find all these amazing channels

[mageIIan]

"How Can Mirrors Be Real If Our Eyes Aren't Real?" 

[toxictaro]

These videos helped me alot in college in trying to understand the world. I was talking to my kiddos about comics and in that conversation I realized that the (kinda new) superhero Gwenpool is a rebuttal to Descartes. It was just really nice to help keep my kiddos grounded when you come infer the realization that the world might not be real.

[thinkfact]

I must say, these are very fun!  Keep it up!

[Boomeus]

You'd still have to exist for Mr. Evil Genius to trick you, even if he was trying to deceive you with the whole "I think, therefore I am, " thing. Right?

[Redem]

Can we be certain of anything?
Is Dracula ever truly defeated?

[ChrisKerf]

8-Bit Philosophy is quickly becoming one of my favourite YouTube series. It would be good if it did have its own channel. I love my Thug Notes but they are just too different in terms of their content and this series has a lot of potential to take off as something huge.

[chegadesuade]

My favorite series on youtube, and for me the only reason youtube exists. PLEASE keep these coming!

[raphael]

I love how most of these are just my shower thoughts but with more fancy words

[seanmalczewski]

"I think therefor I am... I think.."
-George Carlin

[blue_tetris]

"I AM ERROR" was a great reference drop.

[printhelloworld]

While other knowledge could be a figment of imagination, deception or mistake, the very act of doubting one's own existence arguably serves as proof of the reality of one's own existence, or at least of one's thought.

[puertoriconnect]

Wish they would've went into what Descartes could've missed.
Makes sense to me. Even if I'm not typing right now, if I'm hooked up to a machine that's pumping sensations into my brain, there would still be something there that's being deceived.
Even if I don't actually have a "brain" there's still thought.

[relrel]

How can we be certain that we can never be certain...

[redcloud]

I can really dig this kind of thought process. As a person with a mental illness, I find it very hard to take Anything at face-value, and find it disturbing when so called "sane" people don't take the time to question things I find to be obviously fallible, and when it's too late, they wonder what went wrong. I'm wondering if this is a fault with critical thinking skills, as well as general comprehension levels. People, in general, either have trouble, or don't wish to put the effort into putting the pieces together themselves, and will in-trust it to literally anyone else; TV, politicians, preachers, etc, etc. I never could understand such behavior, and find it odd, that I'm the one classified mentally ill. Then again, this is just one loon's opinion, so take that for what it's worth.