In the reading, I definitely understood Descartes point of view explained how people can have the ability to doubt and how anything could be certain or not certain. Yet, Descartes explains in his youth he was believed in the false and how doubtful was everything. He knew he had to let go of the opinions he had and get “rid of his knowledge” because he wanted to form a new strong structure in science. Descarte says ” that is possibly why our reasoning is not unjust when we conclude from this that physics, astronomy, medicine and all other sciences which we have as their end of the consideration of composite things are very dubious and uncertain(pg 7). In other words, Descarte is stating how many people don’t doubt anything that issuing said or presented to them but how people can learn from the truth through senses. Later in the reading , Descarte says “at the same time I must remember that I am a man and that consequently I am in the habit of sleeping and in my dreams representing to myself the the same things or sometimes even less probable things, than do those who are insane in their awakening moments”(pg 7). Here Descartes in my opinion says we all dream and we can all have dreams in our sleep but we don’t know what is real or the truth. For instance, who can say that our dreams or illusions we have in our sleep will occur. He also says “But in thinking over this I remind myself that on many occasions I have in sleep been deceived by similar illusions, and in dwelling carefully on this reflection I see so manifestly that there are no certain indications by which we may clearly distinguish wakefulness from sleep that I am lost in astonishment(pg 7). To me this quote is stating how once we sleep, we have illusions and dreams but when do we know that it is a dream? or an illusion? , I consider Descartes examples to be an amusement to the reader,he used the word “astonishment” and he states how he doesn’t know when we are dreaming, or having illusions.
Overall, In my opinion Descartes has proven how anything could be certain not certain very clearly. I agree with his idea on dreaming and how we can consider if it’s true or not. But I must share after dreaming who doesn’t wish we could go back and close our eyes once again and keep dreaming. And at times we can’t even remember exactly what we dreamt of , but we do remember at times small pieces of our dreams. (word count437).
Small world 