Descartes'
First Meditation
Descartes believes that knowledge comes from within the mind, a single
indisputable fact to build on that can be gained through individual reflection.
While seeking true knowledge, Descartes writes his Six Meditations. In these
meditations, Descartes tries to develop a strong foundation, which all
knowledge can be built upon. In the First Meditation, Descartes begins
developing this foundation through the method of doubt. He casts doubt upon all
his previous beliefs, including “matters which are not entirely certain and
indubitable [and] those which appear to be manifestly false.” (Descartes, p.75,
par.3) Once Descartes clears away all beliefs that can be called into doubt, he
can then build a strong base for all true knowledge to stand upon. Descartes
attacks all his previous beliefs by going to the root of their origin, the
senses and intellect. He then supposes to say that everything he presumed to be
absolutely true, such as simple arithmetic, was created by an evil demon.
