Descartes

Descartes

Question 1

To find certainty in the Meditations, Descartes concludes that if he can remove away everything that is a source of doubt for him. What will remain after the process of elimination is what he will be sure about. At the end of this procedure, the only thing Descartes is sure of what he thinks. However, he also finds certainty that there is such a thing as God or Absolute Being because he determines that he could not feel of such a being (which is higher than he is) if it did not first exist (Newman, 1997).

By doing away with doubts, Descartes is sure that what remains, in the end, will be a certainty. He determines that when the process of clearing doubt ends, what he will continue certain about eventually will be his own thoughts. Descartes has a ‘clear and distinct perception’ that he has opinions. This makes him believe that his sense of emanating from his ability to think. This is why he says, “I think; therefore, i am.” (Smith, 2001).

Question 2

Descartes questions all beliefs he ever held and found that he can doubt all of them. Do you think Descartes is right that all of our ideas can, at least on some level, be challenged? Or are there some beliefs that we can know with absolute certainty?

References

Newman, L. (1997). Descartes’ epistemology.

Smith, K. (2001). Descartes’ life and works.