Using Skepticism To Refute Skepticism Through Descart 108642

Using skepticism to refute skepticism through Descartes doubt methods. This is an integral aspect that is Descartes’ fundamental external world of skepticism

LaRica Turner Professor Verman PHL October 2020 Using skepticism to refute skepticism through Descartes' doubt methods. This paper explores Descartes’ approach to skepticism, particularly his method of doubt, and how he attempts to establish a certain foundation for knowledge. Descartes’ philosophical project is rooted in the radical doubt from which he seeks to determine what can be known with certainty. His method involves systematically doubting all beliefs that could possibly be false to arrive at indubitable truths. This investigation begins with the external world, the self, and the faculties of perception, proceeding through skeptical challenges to secure a foundation for scientific knowledge and metaphysics.

René Descartes is often credited as the father of modern philosophy because of his novel approach to epistemology and science. His departure from traditional scholastic-Aristotelian philosophy marked a significant paradigm shift. Descartes critiqued earlier philosophy for relying on the faculty of feeling or sensory perception as a basis for knowledge, which he found unreliable due to its susceptibility to deception. Instead, he championed a mechanistic view of nature, embracing a method that emphasized clear and distinct rational insight grounded in mathematical reasoning (Broughton, 2003).

Central to Descartes’ philosophy is his method of systematic doubt. He begins by doubting everything that is not absolutely certain. This includes the existence of the external world, the trustworthiness of senses, and even the existence of his own body. His aim is to strip away all uncertain knowledge to find something indubitable. His first move is to question whether he can doubt his senses, recognizing that sensory experiences can be deceptive. However, he realizes that even if his senses deceive him, the very act of doubt implies a thinking subject—himself—must exist (Rodrigues and Harding, 2009).

This leads to Descartes’ famous conclusion: “Cogito, ergo sum,” or “I think, therefore I am.” Despite all doubts, the act of doubting confirms the existence of the thinker. This realization becomes the foundation of his epistemology, as the only certainty he can establish is his own consciousness. From this starting point, Descartes seeks to reconstruct knowledge and establish a firm basis for the sciences.

Descartes further examines the nature of reality through his famous wax argument. He considers how the perception of wax changes when melted; initially perceived through sensory experience, but upon melting, its shape and sensory qualities change drastically. Despite this, he recognizes that he still knows the wax remains the same object because of his rational understanding, not sensory perception alone. The mind, through intellectual intuition, perceives the substance of the wax independent of sensory inputs (Watson, 2007). This demonstrates that certain knowledge arises from the mind’s clear and distinct perception, further supporting his distinction between mind and body.

His project can be visualized metaphorically as a tree, with metaphysics as the root, branches of science as the trunk, and various disciplines as the fruits. The root, metaphysics, provides the certain foundation—namely, the existence of a perfect, non-deceptive God, and the distinction between mind and body. The trunk of the tree comprises the sciences, built upon the secure epistemic ground provided by metaphysics. The fruits include applied sciences like medicine and morality, which actualize the theoretical framework into practical knowledge (Williams, 2014).

Descartes’ project aims to develop a systematic and organized methodology for building knowledge based on rational certainty. His skepticism acts as a tool to eliminate false beliefs and arrive at truths that are clear and distinct. His philosophy ultimately bridges rationalist epistemology with scientific methodology, emphasizing reason as the primary source of knowledge. Nonetheless, critics have argued that Descartes’ reliance on innate ideas and rational intuition does not adequately account for the complexity of perception and the possibility of error.

In conclusion, Descartes employs skepticism as a means to achieve certainty, turning the methodological doubt inward to secure a foundation for knowledge. His cogito argument serves as the pivotal proof of self-awareness, and his subsequent metaphysical assumptions about God and substance underpin his entire philosophy. While modern science and philosophy have evolved beyond many of Descartes’ claims, his approach remains influential for emphasizing rational certainty and systematic doubt as essential tools in philosophical inquiry (Rasmussen, 2009). Ultimately, Descartes’ effort to refute skepticism itself exemplifies the critical role doubt plays in establishing epistemological foundations and advancing human understanding.

References

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