Meditation and Discourse on the Method by Rene Descartes

Often in philosophy, we are dealt with questions regarding existence and knowledge. Many philosophers attempt to satisfy them, such as Renà © Descartes. Descartes was a modern philosopher and rationalist, or an advocate of â€Å"the view that through unaided reason we can come to know what the world is like† (792). Descartes attempts to seal conclusions on such questions by using his mathematical knowledge and relating them to philosophy. Traces of such views can be found in many famous works that include the Meditations and Discourse on the Method. Descartes was a firm believer in the view that knowledge requires certainty. According to Descartes, in order for an individual to know something, he must first doubt everything. This form of skepticism creates space for sufficient justification because the individual is now prone to look for concrete data to back up his or her theory of the existence of something. Descartes argued that the only thing he was certain of was uncertainty because that was the only thing he found indubitable. How is it possible to find solid information that something is not doubtable? I stand at a point where I agree with the view that knowledge requires certainty given that I possess the same denotation of knowledge that Descartes has. It is impossible to prove that anything that I see or feel that is in front of me is not an illusion of some sort. It is one thing to have confidence in something someone believes in, but to prove that that certainlyShow MoreRelated The Folly of Renà © Descartes’ Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy1462 Words   |  6 PagesThe Folly of Renà © Descartes’ Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy In order to embark on his quest for truth, Descartes first devises his four rules which should serve as a solid foundation for all else that he comes to understand. 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These ‘meditations’ are moments of reflection, time spent with one’s thoughts, and time to figure out where one is placed within the world. During one of these meditations, Descartes creates the phrase, â€Å"cogito ergo sum†, I think, therefore I am, in his monumental book, Principles of Philosophy, though it was written in another form earlier, â€Å"ego sum, ego existo†, I am, I exist, in his book Meditations on First Philosophy. This phrase