GPHL 110 Fall 2018 Introduction to Philosophy: Theories of Knowledge

This essay delves into the philosophical concept of epistemology by comparing and contrasting the theories of knowledge proposed by David Hume and Rene Descartes. The essay begins by outlining Hume's skepticism, emphasizing the limitations of human reason and the importance of experience in shaping our understanding of the world. It then explores Descartes' rationalist approach, which prioritizes the mind as the primary source of knowledge and advocates for doubt as a method to achieve certainty. Descartes' famous 'I think, therefore I am' argument is discussed, highlighting his emphasis on the existence of a doubting self and the existence of God. The essay argues that Descartes' theory is more effective due to its simplicity and its potential for establishing knowledge with certainty through a process of doubt and verification. The essay concludes by emphasizing the practical application of Descartes' method, suggesting that by questioning and verifying information, individuals can attain a more reliable understanding of reality.

Running head: THEORIES OF KNOWLEDGE
Theories of Knowledge
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Theories of Knowledge
Theories of knowledge attempt to explain how we know what we know. In addition,
they provide potential ways of establishing the validity of the knowledge that we have and
the potential for gaining more knowledge. There are many philosophers who have
contributed to epistemology. This paper is going to focus on two of these. These are David
Hume and Rene Descartes.
In his theory, Hume encourages us to be aware of our nature and the limitation of our
reason (Hume, 2017). He argues that philosophical decisions are just but the reflections of
common life. The only difference between philosophical decisions and the reflections of
common life is that philosophical decisions are methodised and corrected. He argues that
human beings are in a constant need to make decisions. He classifies the decisions that
human beings must make in the following ways. First, we have to decide on what the
observable characteristics of our environment are. Secondly, we have to make decisions
concerning the probability of the existence of circumstances that are not observable at the
time. Thirdly, we must decide on what could be the possible actions from our side in the light
of the circumstances identified. After this, we must weigh the likely consequences of the
various actions possible for us. After considering these four factors, then we can make a
decision on the best action to take (Laird, 2014).
Rene Descartes was a French philosopher of the 17th century (Descartes, 2018). He
argued that the mind was the source of all knowledge. He is greatly remembered for his
advocacy of using doubt in order to believe with certainty. According to Descartes, there is
only one thing in the universe that cannot be doubted, that is, doubt itself (Scott, 2016). For
this reason, he argues that a doubter must exist. He asserts that if we are to believe with
certainty, we must begin by doubting. After doubting, we can then go through a process of

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ascertaining the existence of what we are doubting. He begins by doubting that he exists. He
then argues that there must be a person who is doing the doubting. The conclusion is that he
exists. He also doubts the existence of God. He then analyses the reality of the physical word
and that of the mind. The two are entirely divorced from each other. He argues that the only
intervention that can exist between the two is the existence of God. He therefore concludes
that God exists.
The Better Theory
I think that the theory of Rene Descartes is better suited to explain knowledge. This is
because it is simple and leads to belief with certainty. Hume’s theory on the other hand seems
quite discrete and complicated. If we were to employ Descartes theory, it would be simple to
establish knowledge and to so with certainty. In a nutshell, if we began by doubting, it is
quite simple to establish the truth. For instance, if we were to doubt what we hear and then set
ourselves to establish the truth, then we would believe with certainty.

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References
Descartes, R. (2018). Selections from the Principles of Philosophy. Charles River Editors via
Publish Drive.
Hume, D. (2017). A treatise of human nature. Jovian Press.
Laird, J. (2014). Hume's Philosophy of Human Nature. Routledge.
Scott, J. F. (2016). The Scientific Work of René Descartes: 1596-1650. Routledge.