The Philosophy of Doubt by René Descartes

Doubting is an aspect of thinking. The more we are doubting the more its shows we are doubting. Descartes philosophy greatly drawn much in my reflections in life realities. Rene Descartes really inspire me to his saying “I doubt therefore I exist because when we doubt we are thinking to sort some things”.

Rene Descartes was a French-born Dutch philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. Descartes has been heralded as the first modern philosopher. He is famous for having made an important connection between geometry and algebra, which allowed for the solving of geometrical problems by way of algebraic equations. He catch my attention because of his theory on the separation between the mind and the body went on to influence subsequent Western philosophies, In Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes attempted to demonstrate the existence of God and the distinction between the human soul and the body.Because all his theory can be relate in our experience in life like he believe that true knowledge cannot come from our sense,since it always either can deceived us or we ourselves deceived it and he realized that even if almost everything can be doubted, there is one thing that cannot be doubt the fact that he doubting. And if he is doubting then he is thinking. 

He know something because we have our senses. Now, our senses can be deceived and it can deceive us. Since everything that we know is made possible because of our senses and our senses can be deceived and it can deceive us, then everything that we know is not certain.Therefore, we are souls we are thinking beings. 

How about our bodies? For Descartes, the body is simply man’s instrument in living in this world. For Rene Descartes we Doubt what we know. Doubt that you exist. Doubt that you are breathing. Doubt that you are a man or a woman. Doubt that you have a soul. In doubting everything, however, there is something which we cannot doubt, that is, that we are doubting.I can really relate to it I also doubt,doubt that there is a heaven that I was really alive and everything more.Because we are human beings and we have a question and doubt in everything in our life while we are living.While we are living we have full of doubt in our life.

I as a student I also doubt myself like can I really finish my study ,can I get a better life in the future,in the near future will I die, is the heaven is true and many more. Doubting can be negative and positive. But even we have question and doubt in our life we have to continue living because our question and doubt in life have answer.If you are doubting means that you are existing.

Doubt is for Descartes is methodical way of seeking pure truth. He realizes that in doubting, there is only one pure truth. First he discover, the existence of his 'doubting'. He realizes that the more he in doubts, the more it really exist and he associated doubting as the work of the mind (thinking mind). He concluded that 'cogito er gu sum', 'I 'think' therefore I am' (Since I am doubting/thinking, I am in my existence) It is the purest knowledge when it comes from the thinking not from the senses according to Descartes.That’s why I love the theory of Rene Descartes because all of his theory give us an idea why we are existing in this.