Descartes Meditations

Demonstrate the real origin of scientific knowledge lay in the mind

Show science and religion are compatible by allocating science to the physical or body and religion to the soul or mind

This analysis will show how Descartes is successful in achieving these aims.

In the Meditations, Descartes subjects himself to deep thought, allowing a day for each meditation. By the time he has ended his meditations, he believes he has legitimized all of our scientific and religions beliefs. In the first Meditation, the philosopher demonstrates that just about everything can be doubted that comes to us through the senses “Surely whatever I had admitted to now as most true I received either from the sense or through the senses. However, I have noticed that the senses are sometimes deceptive; and it is a mark of prudence never to place out complete trust in those who have deceived us even once” (Descartes 351). He is trying to show how the world of mathematics and physics can more reliably map out the world or objects around us because of the misleading nature of our senses. For example, we might think a stick in water is bent when it is really strai

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se, critics always note the catch-22 aspect of Descartes argument in favor of God and skepticism. Known as the Cartesian circle, the problem is that no one can be sure God exists unless he or she is positive of his or her own reasoning. However, according to Descartes, no one can be certain of their reasoning unless they are certain God exists. Still, Descartes argues that the idea of God is infinite and since he is finite there must be an external cause of his idea of such a final cause (perfect) as God “For although the idea of substance is in me by virtue of the fact that I am a substance, that fact is not quite sufficient to explain my having the idea of an infinite substance, since I am finite, unless this idea, proceeded from some substance which really was infinite” (Descartes 361). Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am” statement and his separation of mind-body into two spheres enables him to reconcile the physical world with the metaphysical world of Christianity, particularly an afterlife or extended consciousness possible after the death of the body. The mind is a conscious entity capable of cognition. It can understand, work its will, sense, and imagine. The body, in contrast, is a entity that is extended in len
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Approximate Word count = 1201
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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