blog




  • Essay / Analysis of the Cartesian Circle - 586

    Through Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy, he encounters many dilemmas while trying to reconstruct what he knows. One of the most famous and problematic questions for Descartes is the Cartesian circle. Even though Descartes believes he has solved his problem, many still do not believe he reached the conclusion he thought he did. Overall, I don't think Descartes solved this problem correctly due to precise definitions and lack of distinction and detail. This problem begins with Descartes' need to get rid of this evil demon that could potentially deceive us. This evil demon comes from the Cartesian method of doubt, in which Descartes finds the source of a belief, a reason to doubt that belief, and then immunity to that doubt. When Descartes reaches the source of belief in mathematics, due to its absolute certainty, his only reason to doubt such belief would be that there exists something like an evil demon that deceives our perceptions. Therefore, in order to prove that God exists and is not deceiving us, he must prove that there is no reality....