What was it that Descartes thought he could be certain of? Once this certainty was arrived at, how did Descartes use it in further developing his philosophy?
Rene Descartes was a mathematician, philosopher and scientist. He was influential in the field of mathematics. He refused to trust his own senses and avoided emotional attachments with people.
According to him, physical sciences are uncertain and arithmetic and geometric studies are trustworthy. He says that science should be objective and free from biases and personal perception. His best-known philosophical statement is “Cogito, ergo sum”, which means “I think, therefore I am”.
Descartes decided to learn things from him and not from the experts. He invented analytical geometry and many other new ideas from the nature and not from other people. Like Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo, Descartes believe that ultimate knowledge is the mathematical knowledge.
He also accepted the Pythagorean conception of universe. Descartes also suggested that human body and human mind are completely two different things, which have different functions and are independent.
Descartes used mathematics in scientific and human understandings. Descartes decided that sensory information can be trusted and believe in the importance of doubting and questioning. He says that he will doubt on everything that could be doubted and to use whatever was certain. He explained that when he doubts, he uses his mind by thinking about it.
According to him, the only thing of which he could be certain was that he doubts and once he attains this certainty, he does the following:
1. He will not accept the truth unless his mind perceive and experience it without any doubt.
2. He divides his doubted and difficulties in mind into many parts for an easy solution.
3. He then orders these parts starting from easiest one to the complex one though not necessary.
4. He then reviews the results and finishes his doubts that he would be certain that nothing has been omitted.