Is Descartes able to find one absolute certain truth?

Question

In Descartes 'Meditations of First Philosophy', in the end does he manage to discover one absolute certain truth? And if so, what is it?

Answer 1

In all honesty, I could never wrap my head around Descartes. But I beleive his one sure truth is "Cogito ergo sum." I think, therefore, I am.

Answer 2

Hm..I can't remember, having read it over...well, many yrs. ago! Something like, "Cogito, ergo...veni, vidi vinci?" No...that's not it. But IMO, there IS no "One absolute certain truth"....so, even if Descartes says he found it, he's just making stuff up again, the old coot!

Seriously, if you want some info, here's a quote from the site listed below: "Part IV narrates Descartes' increasing desperation to find some certain truth upon which he can build a solid structure of certainty; while mulling over the problem, Descartes suddenly realizes that the very fact that he is thinking proves that he, Descartes, exists: Cogito, ergo sum , "I think, therefore I am." For if he didn't exist, he wouldn't be thinking. (Actually, Saint Augustine beat him to this realization: in Against the Academicians, Augustine proves that one can't doubt everything because the mere fact that you're doubting everything demands that at least one thing be true: that you exist, otherwise you wouldn't be doubting.) From this point, Descartes can begin to prove other truths, such as the existence of God. What is so important about the cogito is that it privileges the individual over tradition (Descartes is explicitly rejecting tradition) and privileges the individual's perception of the truth over some objective truth or some commonly shared truth. In other words, the individual subjective experience is the foundation of truth. This notion would radically transform thinking in Europe and the West up through the present day."

Richard Hooker (1)

Isn't it COOL that St. Augustine beat him to it? I mean...the GALL of someone thinking they can prove the existence of a god!

I prefer Monty Python's take on it, in the "Philosopher's Drinking Song":

"And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart; I drink, therefore I am!"

Fin.

Answer 3

I believe in absolute truth and everyone else on this question thing does to whether they like it or not. Because "truth is relative" is an absolute statement and must be absolute in order to be true.
The problem is Descartes and a lot of philosophers like him all tried to see if they could perceive absolute truth with their reason or their senses. They wanted to tell by using human reason or human experience what was truth.
The problem is humans are neither always consistent or true. Human actions are not absolute, but we often refer to something absolute.
Even as children we say that something is "not fair" or "he cheated!" and often the other child will not respond, "well I guess that's right for you, but truth is relative" no he will try to defend or make excuses for his actions referring to the same mysterious standard of ethics that the first alluded to.
If truth is absolute then it must come from a higher source or standard than human beings, because human nature can not be absolute or unchanging.

Answer 4

Descartes CLAIMS that he finds many truth.
However his only REALLY string claim is that the formula: "I am, I exist" is true at the time he is thinking it.

Answer 5

I dont know, but truth is absolute, definately not relative. You cant just say "that may be true for you but not for me." Up is up, down is down. God is real.

Answer 6

no

Answer 7

read it and say so.