Can we ever be certain of anything?
Known as the Father of modern philosophy, Rene Descartes was
revolutionary in his method of doubting his way to the Truth.
In order to achieve unshakable certainty, all falsehoods must be eliminated.
And to filter out faulty knowledge, one must doubt anything that can be doubted.
In his first two “Meditations,” Descartes suggests that even
information we receive from our senses should be called in to question.
For example, if I put a stick in water, it will LOOK as if it bends.
But it will FEEL straight. Therefore, one of my senses must be
deceiving me- or maybe both.
So if our senses are not to be trusted, how can we be sure of anything?
You may think you’re slaying Medusa heads in Dracula’s castle,
but how do you know you’re not dreaming the whole thing?
For as Descartes said “There are never any sure signs by means of which
being awake can be distinguished from being asleep”
Even when we are asleep certain truisms remain. 2+2 still equals 4.
But to Descartes, even that can be doubted. How?
Imagine, if you will, that an invisible Evil Genius is filling
our minds with false beliefs in order to keep us from perceiving the truth.
Silly perhaps. But can you prove it is not true?
However, there is one thing Descartes discovered that he could not doubt.
If there was, indeed, an Evil genius hypnotizing me with
false ideas about reality, then I would have to exist in order for
him to fool me! If I am doubting my own existence, I must exist in order to doubt it.
Thus his famous assertion: Cogito Ergo Sum. Or “I think therefore I am."
The Evil Genius is defeated!
Or is he? Did Descartes overlook something? Could his logical
conclusion not also be a product of the Evil Genius?
Truth is, we may never be certain of anything.