Descartes - First Meditation

Everytime I re-read this short but powerful work, I get stuck on two phrases.

The first... "there is not one of my former beliefs about which a doubt may not be properly raised...".

The second...  "I will suppose therefore that not God, who is supremely good and the source of truth, but rather some demon of the utmost power and cunning has employed all his energies in order to deceive me."



A commentary upon the first phrase (a fragment) is that it can be interpreted as "There is reason to doubt everything that I believe".  Whether in context with the writers aims or even taken out of context, as I have by presenting a mere fragment, I think that the meaning is much deeper and quite applicable to today's society and the turmoil it faces with judging values or its beliefs.

I think that the root of today's societal problems are due to the lack of understanding concerning doubt.  All beliefs can have a reasonable doubt properly raised against them.  But, this then leads to uncertainty or outright disbelief since today's society equates doubt with the perception of being quite wrong or incorrect if there be any doubt.  This then leads further to today's society, i.e. popular "thinking", to seek other solutions or ideas or beliefs which inevitably will have more or newer doubts associated with them and the cycle begins anew.

This cycle comes in handy for the subversives amongst us who raise doubt's in order to not find truth but to sway the populace to their way of thinking.  Ironically, there is no doubt in their particular way of thinking nor is it allowed.  Since the general public does not understand doubt, they then do not see the inherent dishonesty of these people and their reasons for doubting.

Does this mean that doubt is bad and should be abandoned... absolutely not.  When doubt is used properly, as Descartes  does, then it is a powerful tool to keep us in or close to truth which is not of our or someone else's making.

The phrase has always struck me with insight to the darker uses of doubt.  It has exposed a truth about belief that most have not considered except those that seek to subvert us from our beliefs to theirs.

The second phrase is one that most Christians should take heed of since they have either forgotten or missed this theme in the Bible.  This then leads to an incomplete or erroneous view of their faith since all of salvation or the gospel are due to the existence of the one that seeks to subvert us from God.

I don't know the personal history of Descartes, yet.  But he has hit the nail on the head with that phrase.  A phrase that one could do well to use as a brick in the foundation of their thought processes when doubting or judging any and all things.

This life is about seeking and then living in truth.  Taking the time as Descartes did is a prescription towards that end.  Knowing the tools that you have and how to use them in this quest then becomes vitally important as well. 

There is no lack of volunteers to keep you from this goal, from this quest. Supernatural or otherwise.  That too must be known and then remembered.