Skepticism and Certainty

The tension between radical doubt and the pursuit of absolute certainty, where Descartes uses skepticism as a tool to overcome uncertainty and establish a secure foundation for philosophy and science.

The synopsis contrasts the doubt of the First Meditation with the certainties of the cogito, God, and clear and distinct perceptions.

The chapter explores radical skepticism—doubting the senses, dreams, and even mathematical truths—as a precursor to establishing certainty.

The meditation addresses the skeptical challenge of a deceiving God and resolves it by demonstrating that God, being perfect, cannot deceive, thus securing the certainty of clear and distinct perceptions.

Discusses the need to doubt even evident truths until God's veracity is established, and the criterion of clear and distinct perception as the foundation of certainty.