Descartes’ Method: Four Rules for Certain Knowledge
Descartes’ Four Rules of Method
In the 17th century, new horizons in human knowledge opened, culminating a century later in significant advancements. This era emphasized science not just as theoretical understanding but as a path for human growth, built on certainty and clear reasoning, independent of subjectivity.
Cartesian Method
Descartes proposed a universal, mathematical method applicable to any field of knowledge, detailed in Rules for the Direction of the Mind. He aimed for a method ensuring accurate knowledge without unnecessary mental effort, progressively expanding understanding.
This method primarily avoids error and provides procedures for discovering new truths. Descartes outlined four key rules in his Discourse on Method:
1. Evidence
Accept only what is evidently true, avoiding hasty judgments. True knowledge comes from intuition, a direct grasp of clear and distinct ideas, independent of sensory experience. Clear ideas are fully perceived without doubt, while distinct ideas are separate and not confused with others. Certainty requires rejecting the probable; only clear and distinct ideas are valid.
Descartes identified simple natures or innate ideas as the foundation of complex truths. These are clear, distinct, and universally possessed, independent of experience or culture.
2. Analysis
Divide complex problems into simpler parts for examination and resolution. This involves breaking down complexities into clear and distinct elements, moving from the unknown to the known, accessing innate ideas.
3. Synthesis
Rebuild the problem from its simplest elements, deducing consequences from these true principles. This orderly deductive process expands knowledge by linking ideas logically, advancing from known to unknown.
4. Verification
Review the entire process to ensure no errors occurred. This involves a comprehensive check, aiming to grasp the whole process intuitively, ensuring certainty in the conclusions.