Free Essays on Rene Descartes Meditations

After Descartes’ first meditation his problem becomes this; how can he be sure that any of his beliefs hold any truth? How can he be sure that everything isn’t just an illusion that is deceiving him such as a dream or that there isn’t a deceiver intentionally deceiving him? He finds that in order to move forward in his quest for true existence of god or the material world he must find a starting place of truth or as he puts it like Archimedes moving the earth, some fixed point of certainty. He finds this fixed point with his Cogito, the discovery that he himself must exist. Having already convinced himself that there is absolutely nothing in the world, Descartes is left to ponder if he himself does not exist as well. He finds this thought to be false because if he can convince himself of something then he must certainly exist. Further questioning this theory he finds that even if some deceiver of supreme power that is deliberately and constantly deceiving him that he must also undoubtedly exist because he is still thinks that he is something even if false, thus still existing. This now brings in the phrase â€Å"I am, I exist† or the more popular interpretation â€Å"I think therefore I am† Furthering that Descartes is essentially asking himself would it be possible for himself to believe that he existed, and this be false? He finds that even if he believes this false logic that he must still exist, because anything that believes or doubts something must exist. So if he does believe that he exists, then his belief must hold truth, because it would be impossible for him to hold that belief falsely do to his logic of existence. So he ascertains that if he can both persuade himself of something, and likewise be deceived of something, then surely he must exist. He essentially claims that every time he thinks something in his mind, he has proof that he exists. It is not possible to think without also existing. With this ... Free Essays on Rene Descartes Meditations Free Essays on Rene Descartes Meditations After Descartes’ first meditation his problem becomes this; how can he be sure that any of his beliefs hold any truth? How can he be sure that everything isn’t just an illusion that is deceiving him such as a dream or that there isn’t a deceiver intentionally deceiving him? He finds that in order to move forward in his quest for true existence of god or the material world he must find a starting place of truth or as he puts it like Archimedes moving the earth, some fixed point of certainty. He finds this fixed point with his Cogito, the discovery that he himself must exist. Having already convinced himself that there is absolutely nothing in the world, Descartes is left to ponder if he himself does not exist as well. He finds this thought to be false because if he can convince himself of something then he must certainly exist. Further questioning this theory he finds that even if some deceiver of supreme power that is deliberately and constantly deceiving him that he must also undoubtedly exist because he is still thinks that he is something even if false, thus still existing. This now brings in the phrase â€Å"I am, I exist† or the more popular interpretation â€Å"I think therefore I am† Furthering that Descartes is essentially asking himself would it be possible for himself to believe that he existed, and this be false? He finds that even if he believes this false logic that he must still exist, because anything that believes or doubts something must exist. So if he does believe that he exists, then his belief must hold truth, because it would be impossible for him to hold that belief falsely do to his logic of existence. So he ascertains that if he can both persuade himself of something, and likewise be deceived of something, then surely he must exist. He essentially claims that every time he thinks something in his mind, he has proof that he exists. It is not possible to think without also existing. With this ...