Descartes was a rationalist, someone who believed that reason as a source of knowledge was superior to and independent of sense perception. He set out to rebuild knowledge with indubitable truths through a systemic doubting experiment. I will be demonstrating his path of reasoning, explaining the conclusion, showing that he was correct by his standards of truth but disagreeing that we need to hold to such standards practically.

Descartes wanted to conclude in unquestionable truths, and therefore held the highest standards in his quest. Knowledge had to be doubtless, based upon universal, one hundred percent correct facts. In order to achieve this he took anything partially or possibly as completely false to 'be on the safe side', so to speak.

He started, then, by analysing his epistemological sources. Firstly, senses sometimes deceive us: a straight stick appears bent when put into water, the world seems to shimmer over...