There are many uncertainties in life. Arguably one of the most uncertain things this world has to offer is certainty itself. For many people, the search for this understanding can take a long time and it can be very difficult to fully grasp the indisputable. The topic of this essay is the First Meditation from Meditations on the First Philosophy of René Descartes, where Descartes attempts to use certainty on his path to understanding knowledge. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay As a philosopher, Descartes spent a lot of time searching for the answers to many of the world's most difficult questions. This meditation is useful in helping him eliminate the false assertions he conceived as a child and focus on some of these issues from an unbiased, empty state of mind. This section of the reading focuses on the very important question of whether certainty is possible. After many different thoughts and opinions developed in Descartes' mind, one conclusion eventually came into existence. He believes that to know something is factual, he must first doubt everything. From then on, if something arises that cannot be doubted, then he must expand his knowledge from there. Ultimately, most of the evidence he uses in his quest for certainty turns out to be dubious, leading him to the conclusion that he will not find certainty in any of the physical aspects of this world. All he can be certain of is that he lacks certainty. Various arguments are put forward to support this conclusion. To understand knowledge, our thoughts must have a foundation, and within that foundation must reside certainty. So, Descartes feels the need to find this certainty, because it is the only thing that will help him support his theory of the possibility of knowledge. He creates arguments supporting his search for certainty regarding the search for foundations regarding the senses, dreams, and an evil demon. As far as the senses are concerned, the basis of certainty cannot be derived from them. Because, as everyone has experienced at one point or another in their lives, the senses are deceptive. Any time someone misinterprets a smell, misjudges something based on its appearance, or makes an incorrect assumption regarding one of the other senses, it is a time when they have been deceived by their senses. Descartes' first premise states that if something deceives us, even once, it cannot be used as a basis (Descartes 41). So, having been deceived by the senses before, Descartes concludes that they cannot be trusted and that one's knowledge must be based on something else certain. Additionally, he makes an argument about dreams. In this argument it is mentioned that people sometimes have vivid dreams and that in these dreams it is difficult to determine whether they are actually awake or not (42). Compared to reality, it is difficult to truly distinguish whether they are present, because whether they are dreaming or awake there would be no way to tell such a difference (42). From this it can be assumed that perceptions of reality cannot be considered foundations of knowledge either, because they also have flaws. The last argument put forward concerns the existence of an evil demon. Descartes believes that there is a “malevolent demon, both omnipotent and supremely cunning, who has used all the energy he possesses to deceive me” (Descartes 44). Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a now..