The epistemological complications surrounding the pedagogic custom in Descartes' works

Introduction 

Rene Descartes was a French philosopher born on 31 March 1596 and died on 11 February 1650. Descartes is renowned for his contributions to various field such as mathematics as he is regarded as being the father of algebra used in calculus and analysis, and the scientific revolution. However, his most significant contribution is in the field of philosophy credited with his work Mediations on First Philosophy .

Descartes Arguments 

Rene Descartes used a very different method in providing answers to the various questions that he raised. As a result of this, a considerable number of knowledge theories and philosophies trace their origin from Descartes’s questions and answers. He is responsible for introducing a new epoch in philosophy and science with the “science without presuppositions” principle. An analysis of his methods in raising questions and answering them is therefore vital for it will allow one in determining his fundamental ideas. According to Descartes, he believes most human being’s truth is based on unproven presuppositions (Descartes, 1641). This arises from the fact that they are based mostly on spontaneous convictions and traditional doctrines. As a result of this, humans cannot distinguish between error and truth, as they cannot differentiate between unwarranted beliefs and true knowledge. Descartes wanted to rebuild the current understanding of true knowledge and rebuilt it from the foundation. However, his goal was not just to build as any ordinary form of true knowledge but one, which would become the one and definitive truth that will form the human knowledge bedrock.

Descartes expounded the epistemological complications surrounding the pedagogic custom in his work “ Meditations of First Philosophy .” In Meditations on First Philosophy , Descartes argues that traditional doctrines are used as the foundation of human knowledge. However, these doctrines are not enough as they are based on unproven presuppositions making it hard for one to distinguish between what comprises unwarranted belief and certain knowledge. However, using his fundamental principle “ The Universal Methodic Doubt ,” Descartes can come with an approach that allows him to deduce what comprises the truth (Descartes, 1641).

Descartes argued that doubt is fundamental if one was to seek the truth. In the course of human life, there has been an acceptance of a substantial number of prejudices, and they have been declared as the truth. This is not right, as a human has embedded up deviating from having a comprehension of certain truths. Descartes has gone ahead and stated why doubting our senses is inevitable. The first reason is that the senses are not always right and have some margin of error (Descartes, 1641). As a result of this, putting trust on the senses is imprudent for they are bound to deceive us regularly. Additionally, Descartes stated that human beings tend to experience similar simulations while dreaming, sleeping or when awake. Therefore, this makes it hard to determine what is real and fake.

Using mathematical demonstrations, Descartes tried to prove the correctness of the “ Universal Methodic Doubt ” principle (Descartes, 1641). Due to man’s fallibility, there is no guarantee that mathematical demonstrations are correct. Descartes stated that one could not prove that God exists and as a result, Descartes believed that God does not exist based on an argument. Descartes thinks that human beings believe God is infinitely perfect being and this makes Him exist. However, in case he was not infinitely perfect, He would not exist. According to Descartes, human beings are finite beings, and thus, they cannot have the ability to prove God’s existence due to their limited faculties (Descartes, 1641).

Lastly, Descartes argued that if in fact, human beings doubt, they cannot challenge their existence. He claimed that if we doubt, we could not suppose that we are not. This is because what is thinking cannot be said not to exist yet at that very moment of doubting its existence it is thinking. Through this, Descartes arrived at the Cogito ergo sum principle that he used in deducing other forms of truth.

Objections 

The aim of Descartes for coming up with such principles was to try and defend human knowledge against skeptical attacks. The primary reasons for trying to come up with an absolute true knowledge was because the current knowledge was reliant on unwarranted presuppositions, traditional doctrines, and preconceived ideas. Nonetheless, the means through which Descartes formulated his arguments ended up being impossible even for himself. This arose from the fact that Descartes went ahead and questioned the ability of the human mind in determining what is true and not. He even went ahead and overlooked fundamental principles such as the principle of sufficient reason and principle of contradiction.

The major reason for rejecting Descartes argues that he doubted all knowledge and termed it as being false. Descartes also indicated that the idea of God being all-perfect being is deduced from his mind. Basing on his “ Universal Methodic Doubt ,” he cannot prove whether his idea about God is incorrect or correct and this makes it “entirely false.” However, Descartes cannot use his principles in ascertaining God’s veracity or existence in case the idea of God being infinitely perfect is incorrect.

Therefore, by introducing the idea of God’s existence, Descartes aimed at using it as an escape route of indicating his principles are right. However, what emerges from this is that his Universal Methodic Doubt does not entirely proof his infinitely perfect being argument about God making it lose credibility. The doubtful credibility of his principle was used in proving God’s existence, and this shows that because he doubts God’s existence, all other things should also be doubted. Moreover, Descartes indicates that things that humans have the slightest doubt about are considered as being false.

Generally, Descartes’s reasoning brings about a circular argument. This is because, to prove the trustworthiness of his reasoning arguments, he had to prove God’s existence. It is only through his reasoning abilities that Descartes can indicate that an infinitely perfect being exists. What Descartes did not have in mind is that, as a result of using valid faculty that is doubtful, his line of thought was nullified. This is because it will bring about a valid argument that is doubtful leading to doubtful valid conclusions.

Rene Descartes ended up creating an impassable wall in trying to prove his principles. His Universal Methodic Doubt principle aimed to assist in the deducing of the truth from other forms of truth that are based on traditional doctrines, unwarranted presuppositions, and preconceived ideas. Descartes ended up making it hard to come up with an approach that can deduce the actual truth. His principles do not show any form of truth but instead, are based on trying to prove the existence of an infinitely perfect God. His principles also tend to doubt human reasoning, and thus, no certitude can be attained from them, and the only means through which his principles can be accepted is by declaring them as part of overall universal skepticism. Descartes doubted the very ideas of his mind and stated they are false. This shows that his inferences, judgments, and ideas are also false and should be doubted. As seen from Descartes, he doubts the mathematical demonstrations such as a square having four sides or 2+3=5. This makes it hard for one to ascertain how he can try to prove the existence of God and his infinite perfection using his principles yet such arguments are more complicated than the stated mathematical demonstrations.

References

Descartes, R. (1641). Mediations on First Philosophy. In E. S. Haldane. (Trans.). The Philosophical Works of Descartes (pp.1-32). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from http://selfpace.uconn.edu/class/percep/DescartesMeditations.pdf.