Descartes - 2nd Meditation

SECOND MEDITATION

At the beginning of the Second Meditation, Descartes is stuck in the middle of nothingness. As he regards everything that is around him to be false he has nothing to believe in. He considers what he has learnt to be false too and as his senses deceive him he can't trust them either. Everything that he has ever seen, learned or thought is now external from what he believes to be true and he is beginning his knowledge from non-existence. He feels like he is "in a whirlpool which tumbles me around so that I can neither stand on the bottom nor swim to the top."(Second Meditation 24). Descartes is certain of one thing: nothing; because to be certain of nothing is still to be certain of something. As he is a rational thinker he rationalizes that nothing in the world is known. He decides to re-start his belief process and call everything he has ever believed in, into doubt.

Descartes reasons that as he is debating complex ideas in his head and doubting his existence in the world, he has to be certain. The fact that he is having these thoughts proves that he exists. Descartes then states with certainty "I am, I exist" (Second Meditation 25). This is the first accurate idea that Descartes is confident about.

Once Descartes recognizes the unquestionable truth that he exists, he then attempts to further his knowledge by discovering the type of thing he is. Trying to