Spirituality – René Descartes – Cartesian Doubt

I Think, Therefore I Am

While methodic doubt has a nature, one need not hold that knowledge is impossible in order to apply the method of doubt. Indeed, Descartes’ attempt to apply the method of doubt to the existence of himself spawned the proof of his famous saying, “Cogito ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am). That is, Descartes tried to doubt his own existence, but found that even his doubting showed that he existed, since he could not doubt if he did not exist.

Criticisms

Cartesian skepticism advocates the doubting of all things which cannot be justified through logic. Some have claimed that the corresponding philosophical proposition fails the criterion of falsifiability that is associated with empirical theory.

Incontrovertible Evidence

Incontrovertible evidence is a colloquial term for evidence introduced to prove a fact that is supposed to be so conclusive that there can be no other truth as to the matter; evidence so strong it overpowers contrary evidence, directing a fact-finder to a specific and certain conclusion.

Luc Paquin