In chapter 2 of his
"Discourse on the Method" (titled: "The principal rules of the Method which the Author has discovered") René Descartes starts to build his scientific
method of thought. After describing in part 1 of Discourse on the Method how his travels has
led him to doubt, Descartes now describes how he found himself in a well-heated
room withdrawn from the world. This led Descartes to ponder the achievements of
the individual compared with that of collectives, reasoning that the former are
better than the latter (God, for example, is an individual who created great
things). The purest form of thought, Descartes argues, in the one conducted
alone.
In order to implement
this line of thought Descartes decides to abandon everything he has learned
from other people in order to remain with what only his own reason can tell him.
In order to insure the
validity of his reasoning, Descartes devices a method build on four principles that
will serve as guidelines for his inquiry:
1. not to accept
anything as true unless it is clearly evident.
2. To simplify the
inquiry by dividing any problem into the smallest possible parts.
3. To start with the
simplest questions and move on to the more difficult ones.
4. To be circumspect
and self-critical by constantly reviewing and reevaluating the conclusions.
This is not only the
basis for Descartes' later considerations in "Discourse on the
Method" and "Meditations on the First Philosophy", but can also be considered as the first
basic maxims of modern scientific thought and practice. In chapter 3 of the book
Descartes will add a few more rules and moral codes that will direct and give
form to his philosophical inquiry.
See additional summaries on Descartes' "Discourse on the Method":
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More about Descartes:
Suggested reading on Renè Descartes:
