The Theory Of Epistemology By Rene Descartes Essay

Rene Descartes believed that true knowledge could only be achieved by eliminating any beliefs that could possibly turn out to be false, and build a new system of knowledge on a foundation of beliefs whose truth could not be doubted. This way, we do not spend every moment of our day, day or our lives questioning everything; from the ground we step on to the air that we breathe. Our existence would be pointless if we had to spend every second of the day doubting our own thoughts, intuition, and experiences. In other words it is not productive to believe that any proposition requires a justification, which in tern is the infinite regress argument. In contrast, foundationalism is the theory of epistemology, which believes that beliefs can be known to be true by simply reflecting on them and that other ideas could be known to be true on the basis of reflecting on their relationship to other ideas, which provide the basic structure for a model of justification. This essay will discuss h ow foundationalism addresses the problem of infinite regress with respect to justification. To understand how foundationalism addresses the problem of infinite regress, we must understand foundationalism to the fullest. Foundationalism regards a belief as justified if it satisfies the following three conditions; (I) it is a basic belief, (II) it is a non-basic belief that is supported by a basic belief, or (III) it is a non-basic belief that is supported by a non-basic belief that is in turnShow MoreRelatedPropelling Rational Thought Over Compelling Empiricism1459 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophy of Rene Descartes and fundamental empiricism of John Locke’s philosophical arguments, in particular their ideas relating to the science of man, his identity and attempt to explain distinctions between the two. 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This epistemological view however had several stances to it, as philosophers held different beliefs in regards to the derivation of true knowledge. Rationalists believed that the mind was the source of true knowledge, while in Empiricism, true knowledge derived from the senses. Rene DescartesRead MoreEssay on Rationalism vs. Empiricism: The Argument for Empricism855 Words   |  4 Pagesmethods, in regards to the subject of epistemology: rationalism and empiricism. These two, very different, schools of thought attempt to answer the philosophical question of how knowledge is acquired. While rationalists believe that this process occurs solely in our minds, empiricists argue that it is, instead, through sensory experience. After reading and understanding each argument it is clear that empir icism is the most relative explanatory position in epistemology. 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