Paper Example on Early Modern Philosophers: Descartes & Leibniz

Introduction

The philosophical thought discerns a different path of knowledge acquisition. Rene Descartes and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz are some of the renowned early modern philosophers whose interests in the areas of knowledge gave more in-depth insights into ways through which human beings can perceive their surroundings. These authors unveiled the basic construction of reality by discovering fundamental inherent truths. With reference to Descartes' "Meditations on First Philosophy" and Leibniz's "Letter To Queen Sophie Charlotte Of Prussia," this paper provides ways through which the mind can unlock the nature of truths through mental resources and without reliance on nature.

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Part A

A myriad of renowned philosophers has always forged for new ways of thinking and putting human perception into consideration. The various ways in which knowledge or truths about the order of nature, the human and the divine orders are acquired have been critically viewed under the philosophical lens. Descartes is one of the philosophers whose ideologies with regard to knowledge are highly regarded philosophically and have been widely discussed. In Descartes' "Meditation III" in "Meditations of First Philosophy," he first perceives himself as a thinking being or tool. Apart from this aspect, the section talks about God's existence. He is so aware and convinced beyond doubt about his capability to think for himself as a human being. The first means through which one can ascertain a rational thinking capacity is to block all the sensory sources of perception. In the third meditation, the philosopher shuts down all that he can hear and see and becomes reliant entirely on his senses and thoughts (Descartes 12). By surrendering all that he has known about reality, there is a chance to create new realities confined within a self-created nature. Descartes ventures into a journey of self-discovery whereby he only converses with himself as he learns new knowledge with his mind, thoughts, and perceptions as tools. The precedence of Descartes' views was marred by certain convictions, which he later foregoes and forms his new realities. It is evident that, as humans, there are limiting factors in the realms of using the mind alone as a thinking tool. These are doubts, uncertainties, and unclear perceptions that cannot be optimally explained. The author is convinced that, just as he took a more in-depth look at himself analyzing his thought, imaginations, and perceptions, people can also take this route to self-discovery. Whether or not whatever is perceived is the truth is not yet clear from Descartes' meditation; however, what is ingrained in mind as truth cannot be credited alone as the only truth. In this sense, he means that whatever is known to be true can be questioned to ascertain its credibility.

It is learned that the philosophical thought encourages an individual to declare as certain dubious things pre-installed in their minds. The understanding of nature has greatly and without consideration of philosophy, depending on what is derived from the vicinity to comprehend aspects of nature and certain notions that have been generally accepted as universal truths. Descartes goes through a similar exercise in his meditation (31). What is known by an individual as the truth about human realities and the environment is perceived from the senses? What is said about the earth, the stars, and the sky, among others, was introduced to the mind by some forces within nature itself. These could be human or environmental forces, but the intent to discover for oneself requires questioning critically the nature of truths that have been held as so. This is because there are chances that one might have been deceived. According to the mediator, arithmetic and geometry are simple, easy, and undoubted because they can be proven. He affirms that maybe, the reason why he arithmetic and geometry easy is because the ability to effortlessly understand them was given to him by God. For a human to have everything clear, perfect, and without deceit, Descartes thinks God makes that possible. Through this recognition, it becomes clear that the mediator recognizes God's existence (Descartes 14). He does this through internal reasoning and analysis of personal capabilities endowed to him. A belief that God is not a deceiver has to be inquired before accepting the existence of God as absolute truth. The reason to doubt anything related to God, according to Descartes, sounds so metaphysical. To avoid doubts, Descartes ventures into finding out the nature of God.

Descartes's views on the existence of God are deep and complex in terms of philosophical explanations. In his writings, the mediator asserted that God and the whole idea of his being are associated more with objective reality than formal reality. Descartes observed that human beings could be categorized as a finite substance, while God can only be infinite. The author reasons that if the complete knowledge about God did not originally come from himself, then God must have led the idea of His existence to manifest in the mediator, therefore He must be in existence. As God is infinite, he lacks particular attributes typical of finite and limited components of nature like humans (Descartes 19). He lacks desires and doubts, and the realization that there is a perfect being that bears it all is the beginning of the knowledge of God's existence.

Any judgment that one has to make should entirely depend on the mind and whatever images, thoughts, and choices one perceives. Before he can make any judgments, Descartes organizes his thoughts into various categories. The first classification is what he calls 'ideas' which constitutes images of things. For instance, when the thought of a man, or the sky, or a chimera comes to mind, he will see them as images. The second category constitutes emotions, volitions, and judgments. In each of these, there is an idea, perceived not only as of the object of thought but also other things like fear or affirmation (Descartes 13). These things are usually attached to all objects of any thought. Descartes' reasoning suggests his belief in the notion that he cannot be mistaken only by the ideas; neither can he be mistaken by emotions or volitions in his mind. The only mistake he can make is through judgments. From this aspect of meditation, the mediator seems to propose that it is wrong to be fully convinced that the ideas in an individual's mind resemble or conform to things outside the mind. Descartes asserts that the only thing that should provide him with immunity from doubt is by not equating ideas from the mind with things from outside. Such ideas, as necessary and relevant as they are, they are only modes of thought. As far as judgments go, the mediator focuses on the contents of his thoughts and ideas deeply ingrained in mind to understand the truths of nature.

Descartes draws a thin line between what is regarded as truths of nature and what is considered to be false. He does this through the insistence that if the ideas in mind are considered independently without relating them to anything else around and beyond themselves, they cannot be false. Through this reasoning, the mediator suggests that falsity only comes by when ideas of the mind are corrupted through associations and relations with what is in the immediate environment (Descartes 16). Through these relations, what is true and pure becomes impure and false, and this is the reason why independent thinking is for the greater good than using resources outside the mind. The mediator refuses to rule out the possibilities that falsity can find its way into affections and will. One can desire things that are evil, but the same stuff desired is non-existent in real life, yet the desire to have them still persists. Viewing it from that perspective, it can rightly be said that one must take care of their judgments to avoid deceit.

The power of understanding things or truths, according to the mediator, is within the person and not outside. This is because, according to Descartes, the internal streams of thought or ideas can be innate, adventitious, invented, or formed (14). Since a person bears the power of understanding truth, thought, or anything else, there is no other better source of understanding of what is and what can be. Whenever and individual hears a sound, sees the light from the sun, or feels its heat, there can be an understanding that specific external forces are at work. These forces are formed outside the mind of the individual. At some rare instances, an individual can convince themselves that whatever they hear, see or feel from outside themselves are adventitious, innate, or fictitious. This is because the individual has not yet discovered the true nature of their origins. From this understanding, Descartes seems to connote that, in some way, the perception of truth regarding nature and its occurrences is dependent entirely on what meanings are given by the individuals experiencing these occurrences (16). This makes understanding one of the toughest capabilities with which humans are endowed. Descartes considers the idea of God's existence as something innate, for he has not learned it through the senses nor through fictitious thoughts. It is something ingrained within his being, making to believe that God exists. Following Descartes's third mediation, the correct order of things is often dictated by nature; however, to have full cognizance of what truly is, one must exercise more than the sensory knowledge to have a maximal grasp of human existence.

No one bears the responsibility to find truths about self and other things than the individual. Descartes sees himself as a thinking being and is the author of his existence (18). Not even his parents, he believes, can claim to be the authors of his being. He believes in the power to define one's existence. In the mediation, Descartes insists that the dispositions with which his parents filled his mind are necessary but must be probed for truth. The mediator believes in some external powers that control his life and has probably divided his life into parts of which he is unaware. There is a power of conservation of nature that is organized by some supreme forces. This thought allows Descartes to believe that God exists and is in control of certain aspects of life and nature. God alternates the attributes of creation and conservation of what makes up nature. Understanding this aspect requires that the person should interrogate themselves to have an idea about the powers they possess and whether or not they are also bound to exist tomorrow. As a thinking thing, humans ought to have an idea about God's presence within them. This is because Descartes thinks that God is perfect and bears the virtue of self-existence, and therefore His presence should not be cast in doubt (Descartes 18). Through all these reasoning, the author digs up rationalism and knowledge from his mind, and not outside sources, to truly understand the true projections of reality.

Part B

Leibniz's "Letter to Queen Sophie Charlotte of Prussia, On What Is Independent of Sense and Matter" is another essay that embodies certain elements involving knowledge acquisition. The author opines that knowledge requires components that are different from senses or more than what senses can give (Leibniz 188). Before this notion is devolved upon, it is important to acknowledge the role of an independent mind and its capacity to discern certain truths of nature.

Leibniz recognized the importance of senses in knowledge acquisition but presented its limits underlining why much more than senses are needed to learn the ultimate truths of nature. With reference to the senses utilized by the blind people to find the way and become aware of objects, sounds, colors, flavors, odors, and additional tactile qualitie...