Descartes' Method of Doubt

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that, in his first and second meditations, Descartes began to doubt everything from what he saw to what he touched, believing God was not a god at all but a demon whose sole purpose was to deceive him. The author points out that, in the beginning, Descartes says that just because a person originally sees something that looks familiar, it is automatically associated with another mental image he or she has stored away in your memory. The paper concludes that, at the end of the second meditation, Descartes is certain that physical objects are grasped by understanding alone, not senses or mental images.

From the Paper:

"He begins to focus on physical objects, saying that although they can be altered, they still remain the same original object. Using wax as an example, he places it in front of the fire. This leads the wax changing its smell of flowers from where it was gathered, taste, shape, and color, and it becomes difficult to touch due to its heat. Before it was placed by the fire, it was cold, hard, and easy to touch. Descartes is certain that it is the same piece of wax, for he observed the change. Although it is different in every aspect of his senses, it is still the same piece of wax."

More papers on Descartes' Method of Doubt:

• Essay # 63350 : "Descartes' Method of Doubt"
• Essay # 30427 : "Descartes' Method to Attain Certain Knowledge."
• Book Review # 9461 : "Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy" by Rene Descartes"

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