Surname1
Name
Professor
Course
Date
Reality in Philosophy
In the first meditation, Descartes realized regrettably that he had had many false beliefs.
These beliefs arose from his senses (Descartes, 2). He reasoned that if a knowledge’s source is
deceptive, then, the beliefs wrought from this knowledge could also be deceptive. Similarly,
Plato, in his “Allegory of the Cave”, discerned that human beings have different ways of
contrasting reality and their interpretation of it. Precisely, he acknowledged that truth people
have different perceptions of truth or reality based on their different experiences and
backgrounds. In Phaedo, Plato also described Socrates’ view of existence. Of the two types of
existence, Socrates described one as the visible existence. It is discernible using human senses
(Plato, 57). This type of existence is both unintelligible and always changing. Thus, human
beings may be troubled to make out realities in this existence due to its ever-changing nature.
That existence is also likely to create different realities. These philosophers suggested
philosophy as a means of contrasting realties and perceptions as discussed below.
To differentiate truths from deceptive beliefs, Descartes proposes the Cartesian
philosophy of methodic doubt (Descartes, 3). He posits that before one can describe the nature of
reality or define what it means for something to exist, they must first consider what is meant by
reality, being or existence (Descartes, 3). He suggests that it would be pointless to say that
something is real unless one can justifiably show it through a true belief (Descartes, 4). However,
for that true belief to exists, then it must be indubitable in itself. Once such as belief is found, it
, Surname2
can then be used as a basis for subsequent beliefs that could be regarded as true. In a nutshell,
describes his approach of methodic doubt based on three tenets. The first tenet is that human
beings must only claim to know what they have justification. The second tenet requires that they
must not appeal outside of their ideas for such justification. Lastly, he suggests that they must
judge their ideas using a method that guarantees that those ideas are correct (Descartes, 4).
In the first meditation, Descartes argues that people’s ordinary experiences in the world
cannot offer a guaranteed foundation upon which other knowledge may be based (Descartes, 4).
Often, they are only taught prejudices of base their knowledge on their senses which are
incorrect. Thus, they should be skeptical of their existing beliefs (Descartes, 7). It is possible that
they are mistaken in the things that they think are obvious. Thus, the methodic doubt suffices.
To determine if they know certain things with certainty, human beings must first doubt
everything they know. While such an approach seems very radical, Descartes does not suggest
that people must doubt everything. However, he suggests that people should temporarily pretend
that everything is questionable. He also suggests that one may find other justifiable reasons for
such doubting to ensure that they do not pretend for the sake. These arguments belong to one of
the two categories; those aimed against human beings’ sense experiences, and their belief that
they can contrast between being awake and dreaming, and those aimed against their reasoning.
However, Descartes recognizes that sense experiences can be deceiving. Thus, they cannot be the
basis for people’s beliefs. He gives the example that human beings may not be aware of whether
they are dreaming or not since their experiences while dreaming seem like reality (Descartes,
14). While he does not suggest that human beings cannot discern whether they are dreaming or
not, he argues that they may not be sure whether things exist in their dreams or in reality. Next,
Descartes argues that human beings cannot be sure that their reasoning abilities can be trusted;
Name
Professor
Course
Date
Reality in Philosophy
In the first meditation, Descartes realized regrettably that he had had many false beliefs.
These beliefs arose from his senses (Descartes, 2). He reasoned that if a knowledge’s source is
deceptive, then, the beliefs wrought from this knowledge could also be deceptive. Similarly,
Plato, in his “Allegory of the Cave”, discerned that human beings have different ways of
contrasting reality and their interpretation of it. Precisely, he acknowledged that truth people
have different perceptions of truth or reality based on their different experiences and
backgrounds. In Phaedo, Plato also described Socrates’ view of existence. Of the two types of
existence, Socrates described one as the visible existence. It is discernible using human senses
(Plato, 57). This type of existence is both unintelligible and always changing. Thus, human
beings may be troubled to make out realities in this existence due to its ever-changing nature.
That existence is also likely to create different realities. These philosophers suggested
philosophy as a means of contrasting realties and perceptions as discussed below.
To differentiate truths from deceptive beliefs, Descartes proposes the Cartesian
philosophy of methodic doubt (Descartes, 3). He posits that before one can describe the nature of
reality or define what it means for something to exist, they must first consider what is meant by
reality, being or existence (Descartes, 3). He suggests that it would be pointless to say that
something is real unless one can justifiably show it through a true belief (Descartes, 4). However,
for that true belief to exists, then it must be indubitable in itself. Once such as belief is found, it
, Surname2
can then be used as a basis for subsequent beliefs that could be regarded as true. In a nutshell,
describes his approach of methodic doubt based on three tenets. The first tenet is that human
beings must only claim to know what they have justification. The second tenet requires that they
must not appeal outside of their ideas for such justification. Lastly, he suggests that they must
judge their ideas using a method that guarantees that those ideas are correct (Descartes, 4).
In the first meditation, Descartes argues that people’s ordinary experiences in the world
cannot offer a guaranteed foundation upon which other knowledge may be based (Descartes, 4).
Often, they are only taught prejudices of base their knowledge on their senses which are
incorrect. Thus, they should be skeptical of their existing beliefs (Descartes, 7). It is possible that
they are mistaken in the things that they think are obvious. Thus, the methodic doubt suffices.
To determine if they know certain things with certainty, human beings must first doubt
everything they know. While such an approach seems very radical, Descartes does not suggest
that people must doubt everything. However, he suggests that people should temporarily pretend
that everything is questionable. He also suggests that one may find other justifiable reasons for
such doubting to ensure that they do not pretend for the sake. These arguments belong to one of
the two categories; those aimed against human beings’ sense experiences, and their belief that
they can contrast between being awake and dreaming, and those aimed against their reasoning.
However, Descartes recognizes that sense experiences can be deceiving. Thus, they cannot be the
basis for people’s beliefs. He gives the example that human beings may not be aware of whether
they are dreaming or not since their experiences while dreaming seem like reality (Descartes,
14). While he does not suggest that human beings cannot discern whether they are dreaming or
not, he argues that they may not be sure whether things exist in their dreams or in reality. Next,
Descartes argues that human beings cannot be sure that their reasoning abilities can be trusted;
