olic Church particularly contributed to this perspective in its religious doctrine. Inventions such as the telescope, microscope, thermometer, barometer, and air pump, furthered our scientific inquiry. Astronomers and mathematicians Copernicus (1473-1543), Kepler, (1571-1630), and Newton (1642-1727) challenged the earth-centered viewpoint and heralded an era of reasoning and the individual's importance to it. Descartes' philosophy increased the importance of the individual's mind over that of matter. Descartes believed that some substances are more real, therefore, more perfect than others. The human existence is more "real' than lower animals. Angels are more real than men. And, God, more perfect-indeed-most of all. Believing our senses deceive us and reasoning that the sensory-perception process is as false as our dreams he next assumed everything as false. As he became aware of himself in the act of doubting he realized he could not doubt the act itself. Therefore, his own existence, the axiomatic assertion, "Cogito ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am.") was succinctly revealed by the "natural light." Man is a "thinking thing". Mr. Descartes revealed to us that upon further reflection he ascertained another axiom the existence of God. He reasoned that the state of doubting ourselves must occur because we are comparing ourselves to an existent perfection and by this perfection we mean God. God placed this idea (conception) of the ideal within all men. The Metaphysical Doctrine hoped to establish a forward-thinking philosophy where skepticism was declined and a rational, positive thought was revolutionized. We must ask, did Descartes create a universal method for achieving truth, knowledge? -No. However, Descartes philosophy was critical to our perspective upon the world as human beings. As the founder of modern thought Descartes' philosophy increased the value of the individual against the dominant role of the Chu...
