Meditation One and Two by Descartes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Meditation One and Two by Descartes - Essay Example In Meditation 1, he doubts his knowledge for the reason that he might be dreaming (Med1&2, n.p.). He tells of the danger of confusing dreams from reality especially because of the fact that we are very much convinced that whatever is happening in our dreams, no matter how far they are from reality is the truth. This is a very similar principle derived from the concept of the movie â€Å"Inception† which implies that the beginning of what a man will consider true is when he or she is fully awake. But the question is, how will you distinguish being awake in reality or being in a waking dream? Lastly, Descartes questions his knowledge because of the fact that evil is all around us, constantly causing us a slanted view of truth. That is why we all need to be governed by law and not rely on our morals and free will because with the influence of evil, we can have our own versions of the good and bad and rationalize them to fit our selfish interests. However, in Meditation 2, Descartes brings himself out of his doubts because of the fact that he is a being made up of not only of a body but also of a mind, therefore he is a thinking being. Though his concept of knowledge could be marred by the limitations of his senses, dreams, and the influence of evil, he still can go beyond all three because of his mind or his ability to think. In line with this, he claims that mind can be better known than the body for the reason that the body could be easily deformed, perished, or seeped out of its strength with the influence of evil or is just part of the man’s mortal nature but the mind is something that is strong enough to filter the knowledge that is not only based on senses but also derived with prudence.