Essay on reading selection from descartes discourse on the method (part iv)

Descartes attempts to find out the source of his beliefs and existence. Initially he believes that thoughts are the illusions of his dreams. He believes that answers to every question originate from logic and science. As such, he seeks the truth by using philosophical and scientific principles. According to Descartes, everything that one can doubt is false. Consequently, he perceived every thought that crosses his mind to be an illusion of his dreams (Sayre, 2011, p. 709).
His turning point is when he begins to doubt the nature of his beliefs in addition to the unpredictability of his senses. Consequently, Descartes believes that he is imperfect because his senses are unreliable. As such, his continued doubts about his thoughts and existence inspire him to begin considering possibilities of an external force that is perfect, and that influences his thoughts. In his contemplation, he realizes that all perfect thoughts and creations originate from a perfect being. He believes that perfect being to be God. Descartes stops to believe in his imaginations and dreams and starts to explain questions regarding the source of his thoughts in terms of an external perfect deity and reason for his existence to be God. As such, he believes God is the reason for his ability to reason and make conclusions in his theories.
Descartes’ surprise ending is not convincing. Having provided very convincing answers by explaining the existence of things through pure reason, it is baffling from a rationalistic assessment that Descartes would explain thoughts and occurrences as emanating from Supreme Being. However, it is noteworthy that when Descartes was growing up there were many upcoming religions that were explaining the existence of God using doctrines that were extremely convincing about the existence of God. As such, it is rational to think that those doctrines influenced Descartes’s surprise ending.

References

Sayre, H. (2011). The Humanities: Culture, Continuity and Change, Volume II: 1600 to the
Present, Books a la Carte Edition (2nd Edition). Cambridge: Pearson. Print.