The perception of the world by the human mind is one of the fundamental questions studied by philosophy. Understanding one’s self and awareness of reality are questions that puzzled the philosopher of antiquity, Descartes (Miceli, par. 4). He tried to answer this question in his writings and came to an irrefutable result which summarizes the ideology of skepticism (Miceli, par. 12). Thus, it is necessary to analyze and conclude why the nature of the human mind is what makes the world real for a person is a true statement.
First, it is essential to analyze the rhetoric and initial propositions of the scholar. Descartes considers that he has had many incorrect ideas throughout the Meditations and sets out to correct this problem (Miceli, par. 5). His goal is to cast doubt on or dismiss any assertion that is or may be erroneous (Miceli, par. 6). The philosopher realizes that his senses may be fooling him and that he may be reasoning incorrectly, as he had in the past (Miceli, par. 7). As a result, he doubts all beliefs derived from his senses and reasoning faculty because those views may be erroneous, as well as he puts to a test the nature of the human perception.
Furthermore, it is crucial to analyze further statements presented in the second part of Meditations. The most severe cause for doubt in the second Meditation, according to Descartes, is that an evil demon can dominate all of his ideas and deceive him into accepting anything (26). “Besides, he cannot believe, as he pretends to, that his former opinions are all false, and that he is being systematically deluded by dreams or a demon” – this statement summarizes Descartes’ attitude (26). Consequently, the author recognizes that all ideas about the world outside of his mind might be demon-induced illusions, corresponding to nothing at all and that all of the philosopher’s beliefs are incorrect (Miceli, par. 9). Thus, human perception determines reality, and it is based on beliefs rather than factual knowledge or substantial proofs, which is directly linked with the statement regarding one’s perception of the surrounding reality.
Descartes gradually discovers the Cogito, an illusionary demon mentioned above. He recognizes that the thought “I am, I exist” passes the evil-demon test (Descartes 16). Even if all of Descartes’ ideas and beliefs are wrong or maybe false, he must exist to be fooled. Following that rhetoric, if one questions one’s existence, they must exist at the time because the doubting is done by something or someone (Miceli, par. 11). Doubting is a form of thinking, as it is impossible to doubt and not exist. Thought necessitates the presence of a thinker, which is undeniable because no devil could fool someone who does not exist (Miceli, par. 12). Descartes had finally discovered what he was seeking: definite, undeniable, irrefutable knowledge (Miceli, par. 12). As a result, Cogito’s “I think” aspect implies direct, immediate, and definite awareness of one’s existence, and connects both the human’s perception and its link to the surrounding world.
In conclusion, human perception, inherent to each individual, determines the reality of the world around people and gives meaning to the processes. This statement is true based on Descartes’ logical conclusions presented in his Meditations and the conclusions presented above. Moreover, the concept of such thinking needs to be developed in all the humanities, as it leads directly to full convergence with objective reality. However, it is crucial to note that it is the path to the objective truth that is the main thought of the analysis undertaken. Consequently, an individual’s claim about finding the absolute truth in any matter other than their existence creates the problem described by Descartes.
Works Cited
Miceli, Charles. “‘I Think, Therefore I Am’: Descartes on the Foundations of Knowledge.” 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology, 2022.
Descartes, Rene. Meditations on First Philosophy (Hackett Classics). Translated by Donald Cress, 3rd ed., England, Hackett Publishing Company, 1993.