Meditations on First Philosophy

“Cogito ergo sum;” I think therefore I am. This philosophical statement stimulated a renaissance in the field of philosophy, creating modern Western philosophy as is known today. This important notion was dictated by Rene Descartes in his 1641 metaphysics work, Mediations on First Philosophy, and influenced all modern philosophical works written after Descartes revolutionary achievement. This work was written at a time when modern physics was being developed as a mathematization of nature. The principles of metaphysics contain in Meditations were developed in order to serve as the basis for this new system of physics. In it, Descartes refutes many Aristotelian beliefs that were popular and accepted by the clergy for nearly the entirety of Christianity, most notably the idea that all knowledge originates from the senses. Descartes’ opus magnum introduces an entirely new philosophical method, radically different from the traditional Socratic Method, and uses this in order to open his eyes and see through his own false opinions. In Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes utilizes his methodology of determining the truth to doubt away the foundations of all that he knows, in order to determine that he exists, what he is, how he knows this better than he knows any physical thing, and how he knows that God exists.

First, the meditator begins by noting that as a youth he held numerous false opinions, and that all the beliefs that he had held subsequently developed into other opinions whose validity are doubtful. In order to develop firm and lasting beliefs that could have a momentous impact, he realizes that he must start anew. In order to accomplish this endeavor, he utilizes Descartes’ philosophical methodology, known hyperbolic do...

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...a single claim that cannot be uncontestably proven true. Through this he proves his existence, God’s existence, and how he is certain of this. His though provoking wax experiment demonstrated how one’s senses can be deceived, and how one’s intellect can combine with one’s senses and imagination in order to provide a firm perception. This is related to Gestalt psychology, where the parts of the mind form the whole, and objects are perceived in their entirety before perception of their individual parts. Descartes’ works will continue to be the basis for modern Western philosophy, and influence how one can separate beliefs and opinions from the truth.

Works Cited

Descartes, Rene, and Donald Cress. Mediations on First Philosophy In Which The Existence of God And the Distinction of the Soul from the Body Are Demonstrated. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing, 1993. Print.