Descartes Meditation Argument

1004 Words5 Pages

Descartes' Meditation I is based on finding out if anything in this world is absolutely certain. That our own bodies and hands are actually our hands and bodies. That when we step outside and walk to our car, we are actually seeing our car. While doing this, he also wanted a foundation of knowledge that he would be able to build upon. The method he chooses to go with was to doubt everything that he knows, society knows, and in general everything, and look at what remains. If, in fact, anything remains at all. In short, this would be very hard to try and prove in general. If one is to disregard everything that they have known, metaphorically speaking, nothing would be left after doubting everything. Three arguments that Descartes' uses in …show more content…

Some of his points about dreams sometimes deceiving us I will undoubtedly agree too. Many times in my own experience I have had very vivid dreams where I have awoken with a tingling sensation where in my dream I could have broken an arm. One time I even had dreams that when I awoke, I bolted up to a sitting position on my bed. Yet I, unfortunately, or rather fortunately, could not remember any part of the dream or distinguish what I was feeling at that exact moment except for shock and confusion. This argument is persuasive when one stops and thinks about what is being laid out. Next, the sensory arguments, I have terrible vision so I know that my eyes have failed me before and will probably fail me in the future. The exact same thing can be said in my hearing and sometimes even my smell. In actuality it did not take much for Descartes' sense and dream to win me over. Experience of times that these have deceived me and might, continually deceive me all my life is something that I personally can live with. I am not perfect and these two arguments make me think that Descartes' is looking for perfection when it comes to the human body. That he is desperately seeking that perfection of nothing going wrong with mind and body. The one argument I would prefer to avoid is the third argument, Deceitful God/ Evil Genius. My religion really comes into play for this, I certainty believe in my God. Except