A Study On Descartes’ Criterion Of Truth

Descartes proposes that truth is a nature of propositions;true propositions correspond to reality,while false propositions do not.Whether it is true or not lies in our judgment based on ideas,and the right or wrong of judgment lies in our affirmation or negation of truth.But the question is,how can we determine the truth of our ideas?Descartes’ description of truth does not provide a way to distinguish which ideas can correctly represent reality.Therefore,in Meditations on First Philosophy,Descartes addresses this conundrum by saying "What I perceive clearly and distinctly is true".Descartes’ s epistemology is based on this rule and regards it as the first rule of truth.The core of criterion of truth is clarity.However,the concept of "clear and distinct perception" is not clear and distinct: What is "clear and distinct perception" ? What is the difference between a "clear and distinct perception" and other perceptions? Although the concept of "clear and distinct perception" in the criterion of truth appears in the Rules for the Direction of the Mind,Discourse and in Meditation on First Philosophy,Descartes does not give a detailed discussion on this concept,and only provides an analogical definition about the "clarity and distinctly" in Principles of Philosophy.According to his definition,"clear and distinct perception" is a kind of rational perception,just like the eye’s perception of a visual object.Our perception is clear when we can distinguish the object from its environment and discover every part of it.However,Descartes does not seem to provide a clear method to determine whether perception is a condition of "clear and distinct perception".The concept of "clear and distinct perception" plays an important role in the philosophy system of Descartes.The whole purpose of Descartes’ s Meditation on First Philosophy is to teach the readers how to form a "clear and distinct perceptions".However,there are three common refutations to Descartes’ theory of "clear and distinct perception".First,Descartes uses the omnipotence of God to ensure the authenticity of "clear and distinct perception",which leads to the famous circular argument.Second,Leibniz argues that Descartes does not provide a reliable way for us to recognize the "clear and distinct perception".In the end,Descartes responds each of these three refutations in turns.This paper consists of four parts.Part one gives a brief introduction about the Descartes’ famous argument--"cogito".From the definition of "cogito",Descartes obtained his criterion of truth.In this chapter,we explore in detail the process of he obtained and the specific content and significance of the criterion of truth.Then,Part Two discusses the relevant aspects of Descartes’ theory setting the foundation for the discussion of "clear and distinct perception".In addition,we also clarify the Descartes’ response to the Gassandi.Part Three discusses the nature of "clear and distinct perception" in details,and combines it with the definition in The Principles of Philosophy,so as to find that the nature of "clear and distinct perception" is the grasp of the reason.Finally,the last part summarizes and responds other explanations about the "clear and distinct perception".Meanwhile,we also re-emphasize the critical role of "clear and distinct perception" in Descartes’ metaphysical system.