Descartes and his truth. I think therefore I am. This is Descartes undoubtable truth in which he can not argue. Doubt was everywhere in his mind. Descartes had doubted everything in his mind expect for the fact that he exists as a thinking thing. There is something special in the fact that Descartes was always thinking like his brain was running a mile a minute.
So many ideas and thoughts going in and out but a thinking thing he was certain he was. It is impossible to doubt these beliefs because Descartes was assured that our senses could not exist without the mind. The mind was a separate entity from the soul it doesn’t take place without a body. Descartes discovered that our thoughts exist in the mind and that it can not be separated. He is a thing that thinks and is nothing except the mind. For as long as I am thinking, I am existing. Descartes believes this is true even when he is dreaming.
Whenever we are in thought whether it be deception or not, we are still in thought so therefore we are an existing thing. Recognizing the fact that Descartes creation of the thinking matter, he would be able to not trust his surroundings ideas etc. He was capable of the undoubtable truth. Descartes must doubt all things until he can prove otherwise. All of his doubts are universal doubts because if he was not able to prove that something exists how would anyone be certain that he would even exist.
He was a firm believer that you accept nothing to be true unless you are certain. One must never accept anything nor any knowledge unless certain of its existence. Being certain of said knowledge signifies no room for doubt. Descartes second meditation is an effort to discover the truth that he will accept with certainty. In order to accomplish this, Descartes demonstrates rigorous investigations and removing all aspects of credibility and in the end finding his undoubtable truth.
Descartes is justified in finding his undoubtable truth. I think therefore I am. Our brains are always moving always thinking about either what we are doing over the weekend or even how to generate ideas for our papers. We are existing because we are thinking. In our sleep even, our brains are going and going dreaming about anything and everything. Descartes argues that our dreams represent something greater. I for one believe our dreams and our thoughts represent something greater than ourselves.
There is always some type of logistic as to why we think about the things we do. In his second meditation, Descartes mentions the argument of the wax. If you take away all of its properties such as its scent, touch sight etc. it is still wax. The wax was not defined by its fragrance, the color nor the shape of the wax. But it was precisely as we imagine it to be.
Descartes demonstrates that corporeal things are perceived neither through our senses or imagination but by simply intellect alone. I for one have found that I see things a bit differently than most people. Growing up, my sister would always say I was a unique person. My point of view was different from the standards of society. People have always judged by what they know or what they have seen in their past.
I was always the one who would look at a cloud for example and see a flower while others would see just a ball of fluff in the sky. Descartes goes on to say in his meditation that, “But a person who seeks to know more than the common crowd ought to be ashamed of themselves for looking for doubt in the common ways of speaking.”
What I believe Descartes is attempting to conclude is the fact if you want to have more knowledge you have to think and see things differently than the average person. We all see things differently perceived in the mind which is what makes us our own person. Although the mind can be very prone to errors in the sense that since we see things differently, our senses can sometimes receive false information.
People are capable of running through changes using their imagination. There are many beliefs that are beyond doubt in the same way that Descartes belief in his own existence is greatly expanding the foundation of certainty upon which Descartes tries to rebuild his own knowledge. To Descartes dreams provide preliminary evidence to the senses which we try to distinguish between illusion and reality.
We are all things that doubt, understand, affirm, denies and refuses to lead to our own personal thoughts and actions. Everything that is present in the world is needed to enable a body to be known as distinctly as possible. Descartes seizes upon words themselves and is nearly deceived by the ways people commonly act and speak.
We need to examine what is known in the world and how it is known.With that, knowledge will come as long as we do not stop thinking we will not stop existing and we will not stop evolving into something greater. Since we have rational knowledge, it gives us a greater advantage and a chance to connect with one another on various different levels. Our minds work in incredible ways.
Descartes wants the mind in free rein unrestricted to just think and be a thinking thing. When he eventually pulls in the reins of the brain, the mind can then easily be controlled. The wax once again for an example is changed into numerous shapes yet the premise of the wax still remains. The imagination according to Descartes, has limitations which its possibilities extend far past capable to create images and ideas into the body. At the end of the day as long as you are thinking you exist.
We are always thinking, imagining and seeing the world in a new perspective. Our brains are always thinking and moving never ceasing to exist.
