Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper offers a critical examination of the methodological skepticism presented by Descartes in his First Meditations. It analyzes two primary arguments for doubting all prior beliefs: the unreliability of sensory perception and the necessity of establishing a foundation for certain knowledge. Subsequently, the paper challenges Descartes' radical skepticism, arguing that no conclusion derived through his method of doubt can be empirically verified. Furthermore, the article examines potential counterarguments concerning the certainty of mathematical truths and offers critical responses. The analysis demonstrates that, due to the inherent limitations of human perception and the inevitable influence of prior beliefs on the reasoning process, Descartes' project ultimately fails to establish a verifiable foundation of knowledge.
Author: Yanzhe Wang
Institution: Queen's University
Language: English
Subfield: Philosophy
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4415013733
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