Descartes `cogito ergo sum`

Running head : Descartes ' Cogito

Descartes ' Cogito

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Descartes ' Cogito

Rene Descartes lived in the 16th and 17th century as a famous Western philosopher , mathematician , and physicist . He was a radical skeptic which meant he did not believe in anything unless they were indubitable Thus , he endeavored to search for true knowledge . In such process Descartes was able to develop his method of hyperbolic or radical doubt (Burnham Fieser , 2006

Descartes ' radical skepticism is based on the premise that a person 's ideas do not form

truth . They are merely a person 's own perception of the truth (Burnham Fieser , 2006 . Hence , Descartes believed that all ideas that are susceptible to doubt should be rejected . This is because dubitable ideas could not be the basis of knowledge . They cannot form the foundation of philosophy (Burnham Fieser , 2006 . This attitude of Descartes that consisted in the search for the foundation of philosophy or the basis of all knowledge is fundamentalist in character

Descartes vehemently denied the concepts posited by the well-known philosophers of his time (Burnham Fieser , 2006 . He wanted to steer clear of the Aristotelian , Scholastic , and Medieval traditions . Thus , he embarked on his own quest for a philosophical foundation (Burnham Fieser , 2006

The philosophy of Descartes , as elucidated in his Meditations , was fundamental in character . His theory , which he called the method of radical doubt ' involved losing belief in everything . This he thought was necessary so that he could build his knowledge from all things that he considered indubitable (Burnham Fieser , 2006 . Thus , he states

But , to this end , it will not be necessary for me to show that the whole of these are false--a point , perhaps , which I shall never reach but as even now my reason convinces me that I ought not the less carefully to withhold belief from what is not entirely certain and indubitable , than from what is manifestly false , it will be sufficient to justify the rejection of the whole if I shall find in each some ground for doubt . Nor for this purpose will it be necessary even to deal with each belief individually , which would be truly an endless labor but , as the removal from below of the foundation necessarily involves the downfall of the whole edifice , I will at once approach the criticism of the principles on which all my former beliefs rested (Descartes , 1641

This passage shows how Descartes theorized that his beliefs should rest on a strong foundation of knowledge . He believed that weak foundation such as that susceptible of doubt , would only make the entire edifice of knowledge crumble

Originally , Descartes ' theory radical skepticism 's purpose was to serve as a method for science , religion and epistemology . He believed that in his search for knowledge of God and the world , he would have to first acquire knowledge about himself (Burnham Fieser , 2006

In acquiring such personal knowledge , Descartes resolved never to take information at their face value . Thus , he came up with the criterion he...