reason
Descartes' philosophy was deeply rooted in his desire to ascertain pure and certain knowledge. In order to accomplish this, he felt that he could not rely on what he had been taught, or what he thought he knew as he could not be absolutely assured that this was pure and uncorrupted information. Thus, he set out to formulate clear and rational principles that could be organized into a system of truths from which accurate information could be deduced. The principle that he came up with as a starting point for his philosophy was that of methodic doubt, that is, to doubt everything.Descartes believed that we should not rely on our observations of the world around us, as these perceptions could be deceiving. To further this argument, he used the example of a dream. He stated that while we are dreaming, we believe that what is occurring in the dream to be true. Thus, there is no way of knowing whether or not what we perceive when we are awake is actually true, as, like when we are dreaming, it could simply be our senses deceiving us.Consequently, Descartes believed that only those truths which he derived using reasoning, that is, reason and intuition alone, were reliable. Using his method of methodic doubt, Descartes came to his most famous realization, "I think, therefore I am." Of this, Descartes could be absolutely certain as regardless of whether his senses were deceiving him, he was still certain that he was having thoughts. From this premise, Descartes concluded that if there is something having thoughts, there must be a "thinker", and thus, he must exist.Descartes continued to use methodic doubt as the premise for his philosophy, and from this starting point, came to many conclusions which he believed to be absolutely certain.
Practically all of the world's top scientists thought that he was nuts - at first. His ideas were so radical and flew in the face of accepted 'truths' that despite his ideas being valid it took a lot of time and persuasion for other top scientists to believe his theories.
Socrates. This is the idea behind Socratic method.
No, axioms are the starting rules that you use to prove everything else, ie they are assumed truths.
By knwoing that every truth followed logically from other truths.
René Descartes is the philosopher who advanced the importance of human reasoning in gaining basic truths with his famous statement "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). Descartes emphasized the power of self-reflection and skepticism in acquiring knowledge.
Descartes
René Descartes is the philosopher who famously wrote "I think, therefore I am," which reflects the idea that human reasoning is essential for gaining basic truths and understanding our existence. This statement is a foundational element of Descartes' philosophy of skepticism and rationalism.
Descartes' radical doubt refers to his method of systematically doubting all beliefs and knowledge in order to establish a foundation of certainty upon which to build his philosophy. By doubting everything that can be doubted, Descartes aimed to arrive at indubitable truths that could serve as a solid basis for his philosophical system.
Rene Descartes said "I think therefore I am."
Descartes' clear and distinct ideas are significant in his philosophy because he believed that these ideas were the foundation of knowledge. By relying on clear and distinct ideas, Descartes sought to establish a method of reasoning that could lead to certain and indubitable truths, laying the groundwork for modern rationalism.
That depends who you mean by "we" - you see, different people have different beliefs.
Descartes is known for his concept of methodological doubt, emphasizing skepticism and the importance of rational inquiry in seeking knowledge. This approach to questioning assumptions and relying on reason to establish truths had a significant impact on the development of the Scientific Revolution.
In Descartes' Meditations, doubt serves as a tool for philosophical inquiry by challenging and ultimately casting skepticism on the reliability of sense perceptions and beliefs. Through methodical doubt, Descartes aims to uncover indubitable truths and establish a foundation of certain knowledge upon which to build his philosophical system. Doubt, therefore, acts as a catalyst for Descartes' quest for certainty and the establishment of foundational principles in his philosophy.
Essentially, Descartes' philosophy was based on the notion of methodical doubt, that is, to doubt absolutely everything that one could not be absolutely certain of. Descartes considered the principal weakness of his predecessor's philosophy to be its subjectivity. He felt that the premises from which previous philosophers deduced truths were not necessarily accurate, and thus did not provide any intellectual certainty. Consequently, Descartes used methodical doubt as the starting point for his philosophy.
Descartes believed that the light of nature, which is our innate reason and understanding, plays a crucial role in helping us comprehend the world. He thought that by using our rational faculties, we can uncover truths about the world and make sense of our experiences.
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered the point is to discover them!!