Rene Descartes Discourse - Essay Example

Rene Descartes’ Dis [Type the [Pick the Introduction The philosophical and autobiographical treatise, “Dis on the Method” by Rene Descartes is one of the most important pieces of literature in the field of modern philosophy. It contains the revolutionary ideas presented by Descartes that ultimately shaped the face of not only Philosophy but of Mathematics and the Sciences as well. Essentially, Descartes’ philosophical dispersion among his autobiographical recount in Discourse argues that there is a truth to be reached in this world and that truth may only be reached if one establishes propositions that do not lend even the slightest glimmer of doubt. A brief history Rene Descartes was a Frenchman who was born to a wealthy family in Touraine in 1596 CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . Faithful to the characteristics of a true Renaissance man, Descartes was knowledgeable and able in the academic fields of mathematics and philosophy, and in the worldly caprices of gambling and adventure. His financial stability afforded him the opportunity to fully concentrate on philosophical meditation and mathematical quest. In 1637, he published “Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason, and Seeking Truth in the Sciences,” or more concisely known as “Discourse on the Method,” a philosophical and autobiographical treatise CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . Discourse on the Method From a first person point of view and providing personal experiences from his own ventures, Rene Descartes provides a self-proclaimed effective method of intellectual development in “Discourse on the Method.” The lengthy treatise is divided into six parts, each focusing on a particular aspect of Descartes’s philosophical path. In Descartes’s own words, the Discourse is divided as such CITATION Des08 \l 1033 : “in the first, will be found various considerations touching the Sciences; in the second, the principal rules of the Method which the Author has discovered, in the third, certain of the rules of Morals which he has deduced from this Method; in the fourth, the reasonings by which he establishes the existence of God and of the Human Soul, which are the foundations of his Metaphysic; in the fifth, the order of the Physical questions which he has investigated, and, in particular, the explication of the motion of the heart and of some other difficulties pertaining to Medicine, as also the difference between the soul of man and that of the brutes; and, in the last, what the Author believes to be required in order to greater advancement in the investigation of Nature than has yet been made, with the reasons that have induced him to write.” So revolutionary were his propositions that today, Descartes is often referred to as the founder of modern philosophy CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . The argument that he presented in the Discourse establishes why he is accorded with this title. This is because his famed treatise presented a clear challenge to the existing authority. His treatise basically establishes that there is no room for doubt in the annals of science and thus established that certainty ought to be subjective and not objective. His treatise also explains how Descartes came to be known as the Father of Deductive Reasoning as he emphasizes that reliable knowledge can only be acquired from authoritative arguments. Prior to the ideas presented by Aristotle in the Discourse, the learned and educated relied largely on the Bible and Aristotelian views as primary sources of authority. The Aristotelian method was basically syllogistic in nature, starting from basic premises and moving on to conclusions made from these premises CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . In simpler terms, Aristotelian science simply requires that a particular proposition be proven applicable to a number of cases in order to be accepted as true. Descartes, and another forward thinker of the time --- Galileo, were not very convinced of such a method CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . In the first part of the Discourse, Descartes provides the reader with a backgrounder on why he chose to choose a path that is not the same as the one taken by his generation and many generations before him. Descartes claims that the method to which he adheres to offers a certain level of certainty that will ensure the applicability of such propositions to all levels and not just to those initially demonstrated CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . Descartes took the cautionary route and was very subtle in presenting a very revolutionary idea. He makes it a point to emphasize that it makes no sense to build philosophies from scratch. The Discourse, he claims, is merely a way for him to discuss his discoveries CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . However, he ensures that his method follows stable ground rules. He further solidifies the applicability of his method in Part II as he provides the rules that his method follows. As with any revolutionary ideologies, the rules that Descartes put forth were very simple and would appear to be quite obvious. First, Descartes emphasizes that only evident propositions may be accepted as true so as to prevent ill-advised generalizations. Second, a problem should be broken down into simpler “problem-chunks” in order to allow the undertaking of much simpler analysis. Third, simpler problems should be tackled before moving on to more complex ventures. Lastly, the progress in the analysis should be constantly monitored to ensure its thoroughness CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . While an average layperson today may likely claim that this is exactly how he solves the problems he encounters in everyday life, Descartes was the first to establish the efficacy of such rules by grounding his method in philosophical foundations. Descartes further showcases his genius as he chose mathematics to apply his method to. Before the Scientific Revolution, generalizations in mathematics were essentially made by providing the applicability of a given proposition to a number of cases CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . With the method established by Descartes, he was able to build complex analysis on simple axioms or universal truths. Descartes’s application of Deductive Reasoning to the field of Mathematics has likewise earned him a significant distinction of being one of the most influential mathematicians of history. All his accomplishments with the “Discourse” showcase how such a treatise fits right into the Scientific Revolution. The Scientific Revolution was a time of radical ideas and history-changing ideologies CITATION Des08 \l 1033 and the points outlined in this paper proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Descartes’s propositions are radical for his time and has aided in shaping the philosophical, mathematical, and scientific worlds. On a more metaphysical note, the Discourse is evident of the Jesuit upbringing that Descartes took with him from his education. Besides the four rules that guided him as a rational being, he also puts forth a four-pronged set of moral rules CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . These moral rules stress Descartes’s primary objective of removing all doubt from the laws that may be established in the fields that his method may be applied to. First, Descartes stresses the need to remain faithful to his country and his religion. Obviously, the education that he got from the Jesuits has greatly influenced Descartes way of thinking. However, it may also be opined, as some research do CITATION Des08 \l 1033 , that Descartes may simply have been playing on the good side of the Church in order to avoid their intense scrutiny and possible legal actions as what was done to Galileo. Which ever the reason was is not entirely important as Descartes continued to reference the existence of God throughout the rest of his treatise. Second, Descartes resolved to be firm with his decisions. Third, he resolved to master himself and not be affected by external factors. Lastly, he resolved to find the best possible career that he may take CITATION Pic10 \l 1033 . These moral rules and metaphysical affinity humanize Descartes and paint a picture of him as a rational, thinking, and feeling human being, and not just one who mechanically churns out philosophical nuggets. In fact, Part Four of the Discourse primarily talks about how he was able to prove the existence of God through the method that he has established CITATION Des08 \l 1033 . Conclusion The significance of Descartes’s treatise to today’s world cannot be overstated. The Discourse on the Method was first to formally establish the importance of removing all doubt from the laws of the world. What is now known as Deductive Reasoning was practically breathed into life by Descartes and has changed the way mathematical propositions and theories have been developed over the past five centuries. Descartes established that no proposition should be considered as true until completely provided with the proper and sufficient evidence. Centuries after one of Descartes’s famed philosophical works have been published, the propositions that he put forward in his treatise are still very much sources of discussion and reference in the field of philosophy. The phenomenal article that he has written reveals the philosophy that he has adhered to in making a number of significant discoveries in the fields of science and mathematics. This philosophy plays an instrumental role in the flourishing of the Scientific Age and has established Rene Descartes as a formidable figure in the field of Philosophy, Mathematics, and the Sciences. References: Cormack, L., & Ede, A. (2004). A History of Science in Society: From Philosophy to Utility. Broadview Press. Descartes, R. (2008). Discourse on the Method. Project Guttenberg. Hatfield, G. (2003). Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Descartes and The Meditations. New York, NY: Routledge. Hergenhahn, B. R. (2008). An Introduction to the History of Psychology. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Johnston, D. (2006). A Brief History of Philosophy: From Socrates to Derrida. Continuum International Publishing Group. Masih, Y. (1999). Critical History of Western Philosophy. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publ. Pickren, W., & Rutherford, A. (2010). A History of Modern Psychology in Context. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons. Read More