Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
Descartes Vs. Pascal - College Paper

Descartes Vs. Pascal

For centuries, human beings have been debating over the validity of the
use of reason. This is a very, very difficult subject to discuss, as one is
forced to study something which is at that moment being used in their study.
Two classic thinkers who contrasted on their view of reason were Descartes and
Pascal. Though both saw reason as the primary source of knowledge, they
disagreed over the competence of human reason. Descartes, the skeptic, said
that we could use reason to find certain truth if we used it correctly, while
Pascal said that we can't know certain truth, but reason is the best source of
knowledge that we have.

Descartes:
Reason is the tool by which we know everything ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

doubt anything. A certain truth must be something that is not
logically possible to be false.
We must doubt, as that is the only way to find certain truth. It is the
only way to wipe the slate clean of all of the uncertain assumptions which are
believed and taught in the universities today. Just as mathematics will lead to
uncertain assumptions if it is not built on certain truths, so will all use of
reason lead to uncertain assumptions if it is not built on certain truths.
There is a way to use doubt, though, to find certainty. If 100% certainty
equals 0% doubt and we are certain that we can doubt everything, then we can use
doubt as our certainty. We cannot doubt that we are doubting.
With our one certainty, we can now methodically use reason to find more
certainties. For example, we can use the certainty “I am doubting” to find out
that “I exist.” If I am doubting, than there must be an “I” who is doubting,
which means that I must be. Like I've often said, “I think, ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.

Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE:

APA
MLA
Chicago
Turabian

Descartes Vs. Pascal. (2007, December 9). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Descartes-Vs-Pascal/75558

"Descartes Vs. Pascal." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 9 Dec. 2007. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Descartes-Vs-Pascal/75558>

"Descartes Vs. Pascal." Essayworld.com. December 9, 2007. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Descartes-Vs-Pascal/75558.

JOIN NOW

Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays

PAPER DETAILS

Added: 12/9/2007 10:51:09 AM
Category: English
Type: Free Paper
Words: 1163
Pages: 5

Save |

Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS

Save and find your favorite essays easier