Rene Descartes Moder Skepticism

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How we can be so sure about our own existence and the world around us? The idea that we exist, is plausible, although the possibility can never be entirely ruled out. If we can never be certain, how can we claim to know anything? Skepticism opens possibilities of the foundation of our knowledge and comprehension of the world around us. It can go to as far as to be a challenge to our very concept of rationality Rene Descartes was the first to doubt the world around us. The different stages of “methodological doubt” was created by Descartes as a basic means of fighting skepticism and attempting to overcome the problem of “cogito”. Descartes was the first to raise the baffling question of how we can be so certain about anything of the world around us. It was believed that by doubting all things of existence, including his own senses, and breaking down everything to as small as the process of reasoning itself. It is believed that if any of the ‘truths’ of this world being put into question by his extreme skepticism, then surly it is truly unquestionable and thus a perfect foundation for knowledge. In his famous line “I think, Therefore I am”, is what triggered …show more content…

It challenges our very concept of rationality. No one lives constantly doubting whether other people really exist, although, there is no rational reason as to why one would ignore it. Descartes has been greatly inspired by an attempted to overcome this problem of skepticism. The role of skepticism plays a huge role in the first two meditations. Skepticism is what drives Descartes into doubt just about everything around him but continues to provide concrete reasons for his doubt in each meditation. For example, in the three stages of doubt he rejects the possibility that he might be mad, since that would challenge the rationality that influences his

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