Descartes First Meditations

2 Pages 555 Words

In Descartes work on “First Meditations” he raises many questions concerning his

beliefs with respect to reality. Is Descartes existence real, or is he an illusion of his own

imagination. Is his life tangible or he only exists because he thinks he exists. The

starting point for Descartes philosophy is not using his senses to acquire information

about his existence or reality, but, using his mind knowledge, the dream problem, and,

the possibility of a deceiving God to show the uncertainty of many common beliefs.

René Descartes existence relies on his knowledge of himself and what he knows to be a

true reality.

Descartes suggest that physics, astronomy, and medical knowledge is not

significant and doubtful, but, mathematics is a certainty. René Descartes believes that the

knowledge of the mind is more certain that the senses. For example, what you see cannot

be true because your mind has knowledge that it is impossible to be true.

A question he raises is the idea that if our dreams seemed so real then how would one know the difference between the dream world and the real world. There is his
doubt that he does not exist and that he is only dreaming of this existence. He likens himself to a madman when he denies his existence. When he is asleep and is awakened, where does dreaming end and reality begin? Dreams are fashioned in the likeness of

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things that are real. Therefore, some parts of a dream are not imaginary and are real and exist, when other parts of a dream are not real and imaginary.

René Descartes questions the belief that God is his creator and the creator of the

universe. He ponders if God is supremely good, why would He allow Descartes to be

deceived with respect to the universe existence and Descartes own existence? If God is

supreme, He can take away my reality that mathematics is certain and mak...