Comparing Plato and Descartes

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                                Comparing Plato and Descartes

        Although the utility of so extensive a doubt is not readily apparent, nevertheless its granted utility lies in freeing us of all prejudices…

Any bibliophile of philosophy or anyone who has the passion for philosophy can sense the chasm between Plato and Descartes. Descartes completely surpasses the original concepts brought about by Plato as embodied by Socrates himself. We can distinguish Descartes and Plato in their views of the visible jurisdictions and perceptions. Plato believes in trust and opinion yet Descartes believes in doubt and uncertainty.

Descartes’ first meditation aids us in developing and creating clear and distinctive ideas. Prejudices are to be doubted because they are founded on obscurity and confusion in perception. Rorty argues that this is essential as even in science we have to have endeavors as an essential run-up to building an understanding of matters that will lead us to knowing how things really are and not just how they appear to us (Rorty 97). In the Apology, Socrates concedes that his wisdom is lacking. He goes on to say that with wonder brings wisdom and that one can never discern anything with outright confidence but can feel assertive about certain things. Unlike Anaximander who believes that the actually real is always constant, I believe doubt is very essential in our everyday being. I believe with having doubt brings about the need to pursue more knowledge and understanding of matters. This is because as mortal beings we can never be certain on everything and that is the only way of pursuing knowledge. More so, knowledge is never ending.

…in preparing the easiest way for us to withdraw the mind from the senses

Descartes believes in ambiguity as well as doubt unlike Plato who believes in trust and outlook. As Cress puts it, Descartes’ way of questioning helps the mind to withdraw from the senses because all we know with total certainty is what we can judge, comprehend and reason with our minds but our senses only are insufficient to determine the truth (Cress 16). As Descartes directly claims, perception is neither a touching, nor a seeing nor an imagining but an inspection of the part of the mind alone. He states that the senses are part of the progression of thinking. With the example of the piece of wax, he goes on to show that the physicality of matters can be understood with the mind and not depending merely on the senses. In the context, a piece of wax has a unique feel, scent, size and also temperature yet when heated it loses all these sensory characteristics completely. This goes on to show that reliance upon our senses in seeking the truth has its inadequacies and the understanding of the factual nature of things is through the mind.

        Descartes likens the soul with thinking. Socrates point of view in the Phaedo is that the soul shall endure to live. He goes on to say that unlike the body which is human and prone to biological demise, the soul on the other hand is not and likens it to being everlasting and enduring. This shows that in withdrawing our senses from the mind, we shall continue to seek reasoning and pursue knowledge.

        ...and finally, in making it impossible for us to doubt any further those things that we later discover to be true.