Descartes’ Meditation ( philosophy)
PHIL 101: Introduction to Philosophy

Reading Questions: Descartes’ Meditation 1

1. Describe Descartes’ project in Meditation 1? What is the aim of this project (what is he seeking to achieve)?

2. What problem is Descartes seeking to address with his project?

3. In order to achieve the general destruction of all his former opinions, Descartes claims it is not necessary to prove that they are false. Instead, what does he claim is sufficient for rejecting them? Why does he think this is sufficient?

4. Descartes identifies various grounds for doubting his opinions. For example, he claims that the senses are unreliable in certain situations. Below I identify Descartes’ grounds for doubt. Describe why each serves as a ground for doubt. Identify what beliefs are called into doubt by each ground for doubt. How does he respond to each ground for doubt?

a. The senses

b. The possibility of dreaming

c. The possibility that God or an evil demon is deceiving me

5. What conclusion does Descartes come to regarding all of the opinions he once regarded as true?