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Examine Descartes' cogito and his method of creating knowledge from the beginning. Determine if Descartes ultimately achieves or falls short in this attempt, offering a comprehensive analysis. Delve into Descartes' Epistemology.
The author of this paper seeks to clarify Descartes' epistemology concerning his understanding, particularly his well-known "Cogito, Ergo Sum" idea as presented in the Meditations. The author analyzes Descartes' reasoning for employing this cogito concept as the basis for his knowledge structure. After discussing the concept, the author evaluates Descartes' success in introducing and using the cogito as a foundation.
Ultimately, the author suggests explanations for why Descartes achieved success in his epistemological pursuits.
Descartes begins his quest for true knowledge in the First Meditation by adopting a radical skeptical approach, which eventually leads him to the conclusion that he can only be sure of his own ignorance (Descartes, 1984:12-15). This realization prompts Descartes to scrutinize all his former certainties - from the existence of the material world to his very own being and everything in between.
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This pinnacle of doubt arises from recognizing that all his previous convictions are open to question.
Descartes believed that a higher power could have deceived him into accepting his empirical and a priori knowledge as plausible. He identified this deceiver as the "Evil Demon," contrasting it with his positive view of God as all good and never deceptive. Despite this doubt, Descartes maintained that the "Evil Demon" argument could undermine all his prior certainties except for one: his own existence (Blackburn, 2001:19; Descartes, 1984:17).
This argument by Descartes is strong as it challenges his own knowledge by considering the existence of an "Evil Demon" solely focused on deceiving him.
Descartes posited that even if this demon were to deceive him to the fullest extent, he would still exist because the act of being deceived implies the existence of a thinking self. According to Descartes, the statement "I am, I exist" is undeniable whenever it is pondered in the mind (Blackburn, 2001:20).
In the Second Meditation, Descartes argues that the statement 'I am, I exist' only refers to a thinking thing that is currently experiencing thoughts. If this thinking were to stop, then the existence of the thing would cease as well (Descartes, 1984:18). Therefore, existence does not depend on thinking, but rather thinking depends on existence.
Descartes was open to questioning his knowledge of the world and was determined to respond to any objections raised. He set aside his existing knowledge and formulated arguments from the beginning to establish the truth he would ultimately embrace. Consequently, Descartes opted for the cogito concept as a basis for expanding his realm of comprehension.
Descartes began his Meditations with the goal of establishing a basis for knowledge. Lacking any prior beliefs to guide him, he sought a solid foundation for his reconstruction efforts, which ultimately gave rise to the concept of cogito. In Latin, "Cogito, Ergo Sum" means "I think, therefore I am," serving as the cornerstone of Descartes' philosophical framework.
1. There is a possibility that a malevolent entity is tricking me into thinking that I am not real.
According to the statement, if one believes they do not exist, then they must exist.
3. The fact that I am here, demonstrates my existence.
According to Descartes (1984:17), if one convinces oneself of something, they undoubtedly exist. This implies that the existence of someone doubting their own presence confirms their actual existence, as doubt can only exist if there is a subject to experience it. Understanding the cogito concept involves identifying the category to which this existing "someone" belongs, and determining whether it is appropriate to assert their existence.
According to Descartes, the argument does not provide a valid justification for the existence of the body or any other physical entity, so the existence of bodies cannot be confirmed. The cogito argument also does not explain the existence of other minds, which would require knowledge of the physical world where other entities exist. However, the concept of cogito does provide a valid argument for the existence of the mind or a thinking entity that is separate from the body.
Blackburn, in his novel Think, elucidates the cogito concept as a way to validate one's very existence as a thinking being and not necessarily as a distinct 'self' (Blackburn, 2001:20). I concur with Blackburn because Descartes' idea effectively demonstrates that we exist as thinking entities, even without any prior or posterior knowledge, thus allowing us to affirm the cogito.
The cogito concept remains valid independent of empirical knowledge since it posits the presence of thought separate from the body, which is a more empirical means of obtaining knowledge through the senses. This idea can be embraced even without prior knowledge because Descartes only introduced it after realizing his lack of knowledge, and thus could only affirm his own existence as certain.
In order to evaluate Descartes' decision for his foundation, I will pose inquiries about the cogito concept that require clarification. If our existence is dependent on thinking, and the "Evil Demon" can distort our understanding of everything else, why are our thoughts immune to his deception? From my point of view, the "Evil Demon" can deceive us up to a certain extent, which is our existence, and we have established that our existence leads to thinking.
Descartes believed that the "Evil Demon" could manipulate our thoughts, but one thing that the demon couldn't change was the fact that we are capable of thinking. He used the example of a plastic ball being melted and reshaped into a mug to illustrate this point - even though the ball's physical state changed, it is still made of plastic. The existence of the plastic in its current form proves that it once existed in a different state, and trying to deny its past existence would be futile.
Despite changes in our understanding of existence, the fundamental truth remains that we exist, and therefore we think. This example serves as a modern interpretation of Descartes' wax example (Descartes,1984:20-21), as noted by Blackburn, in which Descartes demonstrates that through the cogito, we can establish the existence of our thoughts independent of their form, diversity, or connection to a physical body (Blackburn, 2001:21).
Descartes would argue that if we are aware of being deceived by the "Evil Demon," it implies that we have already accepted some knowledge before establishing our foundation with the cogito concept. He would suggest that the very act of thinking about the deceiver demonstrates the existence of thought, therefore validating the cogito before considering the idea of deception.
Despite some equivocation in this response, it appears that Descartes' arguments may shift the burden of proof back to the questioner. The argument is that the questioning is circular and primarily raises doubts about Descartes' means of acquiring knowledge rather than presenting a valid objection to the cogito. In conclusion, this response acknowledges Descartes' success in demonstrating that the cogito is a foundational concept for acquiring knowledge.
The idea of an “Evil Demon” forces us to acknowledge our existence (cogito) before we can question the validity of our knowledge. Another important consideration is the nature of the cogito and what other knowledge can be established based on this foundation. The cogito represents a form of a priori knowledge that requires no explanation or reference to prior experiences for validation. Descartes utilized the cogito to develop his theory of Cartesian Dualism, demonstrating how knowledge can be built upon this foundational concept.
According to Descartes, Cartesian Dualism is justified by the cogito because we only have knowledge of an existing ‘thinking’ entity that has no body. Therefore, the body and the mind should be seen as separate entities that are incapable of influencing each other (Descartes, 1984:21). The concept of cogito instills a sense of identity within us, suggesting that our thoughts contain an intrinsic essence. This essence, despite being vulnerable to the deception of the “Evil Demon”, remains as a proof of our existence as thinking beings. Although immaterial, this entity guides us towards thinking, which serves as the foundation for acquiring new knowledge.
Descartes was successful in his theory of knowledge by choosing "Cogito, Ergo Sum" as the basis for his further understanding. With the establishment of cogito, Descartes was able to acquire new knowledge and develop a strong epistemology on a firm foundation.
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[ 1 ]. J. Lerm [Rebulding Begins] lecture slide 2
[ 2 ]. Lerm [The Cogito Argument] lecture slide 7
Descartes' Cogito: Foundation of Knowledge. (2016, Nov 05). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/descartes-epistemology-essay
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