THROWBACK TIME:

Question Everything: Unboxing Renée Descartes.

Yeah, that philosopher dude.

Image by Cosmic Timetraveler from Unsplash

Ever wake up and question if you’re living in a simulated reality where your senses constantly fail you and nasty demons hijack your thoughts?

Oh, you haven’t?

Yeah, me neither. I don’t think anyone has, or would ever doubt the existence of their own lives. After all, isn’t that a given?

To Descartes, it wasn’t.

For those of you who don’t spend your time reading classical literature in your basement to pass the time, Descartes was that one guy who said:

“I think, therefore I am.”

But knowing that one quote doesn’t do his philosophy justice. It’s too superficial, and let’s be honest, no one knows what it even means.

So to get a better understanding of things, let’s start with how Descartes saw the world — or at least how he thought we should be thinking.

As we go along, we’ll be looking at the practical utility of Descartes’ worldview, highlighting thought experiments, and exploring the depths of metaphysics. When I was a kid, I thought that was the physics of meat.

Jeez, I can already tell this is gonna be ineresting. Buckle up.

Things Aren’t What They Seem.

If I had to describe how Descartes wanted us to live our lives, it would be to constantly try removing the “dirt” from our lenses. To commit to purifying ourselves of psychological biases, assumptions, and societal dogma so we could find truth.

TLDR: He wants you to be paranoid about everything: