DESCARTES OBJECTIVES IN THE FIRST MEDITATION
In this essay I will discuss Descartes First Meditation, and the purpose thereof. Descartes chooses to “overthrow all [his] beliefs”, that is, to cleanse himself of any preexisting knowledge he may possess. Descartes claims that he has been fooled by his senses before (e. ... (Meditations) Descartes chooses to do so in order to establish a firm foundation for knowledge - an absolute truth, something which he knows for a fact is true and will remain true under any circumstances. ... (Meditations) Descartes regimen of doubt prohibits the establishment of truth through sensory experiences, or anything else in the universe (since the reality and everything in it could be the devils creation, a creation made to deceive him and get him as far away from the truth as possible.) Descartes therefore cannot use anything contained within the universe to establish a firm foundation for knowledge.