Descartes' theory of knowledge was to doubt all things and accept as knowledge the things that could not be doubted
No, Descartes did not believe in tabula rasa. He believed that innate ideas existed within the mind prior to experience. Descartes argued that the mind had certain inherent knowledge, such as the concept of God, which did not require sensory input to be known.
Descartes developed the method of doubt, also known as Cartesian doubt, which involved systematically doubting everything that could be doubted in order to arrive at indubitable knowledge. This method was aimed at establishing a foundation of certain knowledge upon which to build his philosophical system.
Descartes was most concerned with the problem of skepticism and uncertainty in knowledge. He aimed to establish a foundation of certain knowledge that could not be doubted, leading to his famous statement "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). This led him to develop the philosophy of foundationalism, which seeks to build knowledge from clear and distinct ideas.
Philosophically, Descartes was concerned with the existence of reality.
In Descartes' philosophy, clear and distinct ideas are significant because they serve as the foundation for certain knowledge. Descartes believed that only ideas that are clear and distinct can be trusted as true, leading to the development of his method of doubt and the famous statement "I think, therefore I am."
Descartes wanted to apply the method of systematic doubt and rigorous reasoning that was characteristic of geometry to philosophy in order to arrive at certain and indubitable knowledge. By following a geometric approach, he believed he could establish a foundation of knowledge that was as secure and foundational as the principles of geometry.
Descartes' clear and distinct ideas are significant in his philosophy because he believed that these ideas were the foundation of knowledge. By relying on clear and distinct ideas, Descartes sought to establish a method of reasoning that could lead to certain and indubitable truths, laying the groundwork for modern rationalism.
Descartes famously asked, "What can I know with certainty?" as he sought a foundation for knowledge that could not be doubted.
Descartes' doubt is often associated with his method of radical skepticism, which posits that doubt should be applied to all beliefs that can be doubted in order to reach certain knowledge. This led to the development of the famous phrase "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am) as a foundational certainty. Descartes' doubt also influenced the development of epistemological theories, such as foundationalism and coherentism, which seek to address the issue of how certain knowledge can be attained in the face of doubt.
Descartes decided to set aside everything he had learned in order to systematically doubt the foundations of his knowledge and beliefs. By starting from a point of radical doubt, he sought to build a new foundation for knowledge that was certain and indubitable, leading to his famous statement "I think, therefore I am."
René Descartes was certain about his own existence, famously encapsulated in the phrase "Cogito, ergo sum," which translates to "I think, therefore I am." He concluded that the act of thinking is undeniable proof of one's own existence, as even doubt implies a thinking subject. This foundational belief became a cornerstone of his philosophical framework. Descartes used this certainty to build further arguments about knowledge and existence.