“I think, therefore I am” (32) is the principle in which Descartes uses to build any foundation for the ideas in his meditations. The human being is in essence a thinking thing in which the mind has the ability to deceive a person. He may in his youth have taken many seemingly true opinions and built foundations on them; however, he now comprehends that they may be false. He states that “I should withhold my assent no less carefully from opinions that are not completely certain and indubitable than I would from those that are patently false” (18). The uncertainty is brought in with the decision of what is reality and what has been falsely put into everyone’s mind. Because Descartes is unable to show what is true and false in everything, he will take each matter with the same accord and discredit them in the same fashion. He will “attack straightaway those principles which supported everything I once believed” (18). Descartes will attempt to show fault in believing the senses, dreams, and mathematics to be able to understand what concepts of reality are built on a solid base. “I will remain resolute and steadfast in this meditation, and even if it is not within my power to know anything true, it

. . .
He cannot deny his location and appearance while he is writing this meditation. Descartes claims that such sciences as physics and astronomy are based off of things that are doubtful, and other mathematical sciences based off of simple concepts “are indifferent as to whether these things do or do not in fact exist, contain something certain and indubitable” (20). “But on what grounds could one deny that these hands and this entire body are mine?” (19) He does not question that he is there, but he questions whether his appearance is actually reality. “How do I know that he did not bring it about that there is not earth at all, no heavens, no extended thing, no shape, no size, no place, and yet bringing it about that all these things appear to me precisely as they do now?” (21) His final goal is to only believe what he has deciphered to be true, and he will risk a life of uncertainty before he is again lead into believe any falsities.

He will again discredit what is perceived through the senses.

His final argument elaborates into the dependability of the sciences. Such a dream can make a person think what they dream is true but it is really an illusion created in the mind and imagination.

“At this time I admit nothing that is not necessarily true. As a result, I am becoming quite dizzy, and this dizziness nearly convinces me that I am asleep. certainly is within my power to take care resolutely to withhold my assent to what is false…” (23). Such things would not be distinct for someone who is asleep. Descartes concludes that he would have to “liken myself to the insane” (19) to not believe in the existence of his body. Descartes does contradict himself when he discusses what can be felt during a dream. He still does not credit the senses to be utterly true and it is logical that perception is brought into the mind through what is seen, heard, and so forth.

Common topics in this essay:
Method Doubt, existence body, perceived senses, doubt existence, meditation 2, senses dreams, imagination descartes, credit senses, withhold assent, thinking mind,

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