The rationalism of Descartes

Rationalism (ratio) - reflects a philosophical idea that recognizes thinking (mind) as the source of any knowledge and criterion of its truth. This teaching became popular in the 17th century. Basics of the philosophical view, his tradition was introduced by Rene Descartes. In his Discourses on the Method, Reflections on a New Philosophy, and other works, the problem of the reliability of knowledge was solved in the sphere of knowledge itself and its internal characteristics. This, in particular, distinguished Rene Descartes' rationalism from Bacon's theory of practical thoroughness.

The first, developing his idea, argued that there are four rules of knowledge: methodical doubt, control, analysis and evidence. The rationality of Descartes established the indubitability of the very presence of the cognizing mind, the philosopher declared: "I think, therefore I am." The evidence of this theory, in his opinion, lay in the justification of thinking itself, trust in it. At the same time, God is the guarantor of the comprehensibility of the created world, as well as the objectivity of human cognition.

The system of arguments, which leads Descartes, explains the idea of the presence of innate ideas as one of the main provisions of rationalism. The created things are known only through deepening into the mind. In this case, all things consist of two substances, independent of each other - body and soul. The nature of the body is not more than a mechanism. Strengthening the prevalence of the mind over feelings and bodily passions is an outgoing principle for the search for various formulas of moral behavior in a variety of life situations. This is the concept that Descartes's rationalism bears in him.

It is necessary to note the great importance of this world outlook for the development of philosophy and science. The rationality of Descartes not only contributed to the formation of new rules and principles, but also formed the basis of some scientific disciplines, in particular analytical geometry, mathematics.

The dualism that underlies the idea has made it possible to formulate a dual, mutually exclusive interpretation of the doctrine. The rationalism of Descartes provided for an explanation of the structure of the world, representing it in abstract and pictorial images simultaneously. The device of the world assumed the possibility of dismembering it (using analysis) into components that would be logically related to each other and mathematically accurately described. In this lies the methodological basis of the process of mathematizing natural science.

A rational person who has a deductive and intuitive mind can achieve reliable knowledge. The deductive method allows only those assumptions that are seen for the mind to be clear, precise - do not cause in truth any doubts. In addition, within the framework of this method, each complex problem is dismembered into partial periodic transformations from the known and proven to the unknown and unproven, while admissions are not allowed in the investigated links.

In the time of Descartes, philosophy was given great importance. Science was considered as a higher value, and the possibility of its practical application in satisfying various human needs even more exalted the cognitive processes of thinking.

Under the influence of the teachings of Descartes, Benedict Spinoza expounded rationalism using the geometric method. His ideas, he reflected in the work "Ethics". In this work, each part begins with a clear and simple definition, a concept. Then follows the axiom, the statement with the proof. In conclusion, the philosophical argument is presented.

Spinoza singled out three levels of cognition. The first - the highest - assumed the comprehension of truth, intuitively visible, directly by reason. The second level involved reasoning that needed proof. The third, inferior level, is based on the sensory perception of the world.