Rene Descarte Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rene Descarte - Essay Example This arguments by Descartes, illustrates the need of self assessment before making conclusions. A person (thinking being) is subject to doubt, hence must first be skeptic about everything in order to end up making informed judgment. This point can be elaborated through an example for instance one sees a bottle of water. His eyes tell him that it is there. Since this person has the premise that what his eyes see is in fact real (or existing) it means that he knows that the bottle exists (p.72). When he say that it exists it means it has certain properties that indicate that it exists. No one can say that something exists without acknowledging the properties. Existence without the knowledge of its properties is even more illogical than deriving a conclusion that existence of self also encompasses the nature of self. When Renà © Descartes say that he thinks therefore he exists, it means that he is aware of what he is and what his nature is. Otherwise there is no existence. Every existence has its properties; be it divine authority like God or as trivial as a plastic water bottle. The objection of Descartes’s claim rests with the understanding of premise. If the critics accept the premise when Renà ©e says that something exists, he also bases this by understanding some properties. The philosopher has some understanding of the nature and properties of the object. This existence theory can also be related to the existence of God. For instance Renà © has confirmed many times that he doesnt understand God. But he knows that he exists, it means he is aware of certain godlike properties. No one has to have full understanding of something to know that it exists.