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Certainty is Decartes Discourse of Method

Rene Descartes' overall objective in publichising "Discourse of Method" is to developing a new system of knowledge that is free of prior prejudices for establishing the truth of In Part 4 of the book he explains the philosophical basing (the mediatations) for establishing the new system. These mediatations were based on the epistomological theory of rationalism: that is if someone truly knows something then they could not possibly be mistaken. He goes on to provide solid argument for his ideas. In Mediations he comes to term with three certainties: the existence of the mind as the thing that thinks, the body as an extension, and God as the supreme being. He attest that he came to these conclusions by doubling all that had been taught to him in his formal education, and all he received through the senses. In the "Discourse of Method" he states his first uncertainty when he says, " I found myself embarrassed with so many doubts and errors that it seemed to me that the effort to instruct myself had no effect other than the increasing discovery of my ignorance". He has difficulty embracing the diverse, and sometimes hypocrtical, ideas that he encountered in his studies. He thought all of his confusions and indeterminate ideas were caused by the senses. Therefore, he first jettisons any information, knowledge or truths that are based on his senses. Here, he applies the "Dream Argument, " (32) where he states that based on senses alone, there is no definite way of proving that you are dreaming or that you are awake. After all, derams are indistinguishable from reality because during a dram, a person is unaware that he is dreaming. In fact, no single criterion has been established to distinguish between the conscious and a sleeplike state. Consequently, sine this very instance may be a dream, all beliefs based upon the sensory organs are dubitable.Besides, many of us, at one point in our lives, have wondered this very philosophica...

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