Descartes’’ theory of establishing universal clear and acceptable knowledge:
1. Never to believe anything as truth unless proved
2. Divide each problem or difficulties into as many parts as possible
3. Commence with the simplest object and then step by step ascend to the complex ones
4. In every case, make sure that the discussion is thorough; while we try to solve any problem we must
solve all pertinent problems, so that nothing is left or omitted.
Theory of Doubt:
He doubted everything. Even his own existence. He was a follower of mathematics. He even doubted
mathematic. He didn’t doubt for doubt, but to establish the truth.
He doubted the existence of external objects. As external objections come from the sense perception.
As sense changes so does the knowledge of external objects. It means it goes against the universality. It
is versatile, moreover we/re deceived by our sense perception. Sometimes we/re confused by it.
Sometimes illusion takes place. Optical illusions. Sense perception can’t provide some k knowledge. As
sense varies knowledge varies
He rejected mathematics. BRAIN IN A VAT. Maybe he’s possessed by a powerful demon that instructs
him that 2+2=4.
Maybe I’m not real. As what I things awakened, same things happen during sleep in our dreams. So,
there’s no telling that I’m not sleeping when I feel that I’m doing something. Maybe I’m in the world of
imagination and doing tasks in my dream.
Conclusion: I can doubt everything in the world. But the one thing I can’t doubt is doubt itself. Doubt is
real. Through the deductive method he established his position. Reading implies a reader, Teaching
implies a teacher, Trading implies a trader, and Thinking implies a thinker. Without considering the
existence of a thinker the act of thinking can’t be accomplished. Without the existence of thinking the
act of doubting is not possible. Thus doubting means thinking and thinking means existing. So he says
that he exists. He says “cogito Argo sum”. This is skepticism. Descartes was a skeptic initially. Skepticism
is the science of doubt. Then he proved his existence which is certain and thus he’s no longer uncertain.
So certain knowledge is possible is proved by Descartes. So, he’s no longer a skeptic.
Ideas:
1. Adventitious: Comes from the external world and is obtained by sense perception.
2. Fictitious: Constructed out of human imagination. They’re not real. Unicorn, Flying horse, Mermaid,
Golden horse, Golden Mountain. But mountain is real, gold is real. Thus we can’t say they don’t
exist. But he rejected the idea as they’re merely imaginative.
3. Innate: The ideas ingrained in our minds at the time of birth. The ideas are universal. Perfect being,
God, Infinity, truthfulness. These ideas are real.
