The search for truth is a quest that humanity has undertaken for as long as we have been on this earth. Whatever religion one belongs to, or whatever kind of belief we have about the beginning of life on earth, there is a common search for truth that has carried on to this day and will probably continue for as long as human beings will live. This curiosity has often led us to quest for more answers.
This curiosity creates desperation in us that makes us regard even inconclusive things as good enough answers. Rene Descartes talks about four rules that he feels should be followed when one sets out to establish the truth. He further goes on to say that unless he has followed all four rules when faced with difficulty, then he will not have established the truth. While all the rules seem valid, they may not necessarily be all practical.
The first rule he gives is that unless something is so clear in our mind and leaves no doubt at all, then it should not be considered as the truth. The advantage of this thinking is that it puts a person to the task to ensure that they have done all possible research before calling something as truth. One would be forced to scrutinize every piece of information that comes their way and critically analyze it.
Once they are satisfied that they have looked at every single perspective, they can then accept something as the truth. The problem with this line of thought is that in most life situations, we are unable to have a very clear mind about issues. More often than not, we are forced to have faith in things beyond our control rather than rely on reasoning. Since we are not directly involved in every step of the decision-making process, for instance, we have to trust another person which allows room for doubt. As such, we would have to doubt many things because of just a little doubt.
The second rule is that every difficulty should be broken down to its simplest form before trying to understand it. In my opinion, this is a very practical rule to follow. When faced with difficulty, a larger picture of the situation will always seem complicated. Breaking it down to bits makes it look simpler and creates more confidence in one’s ability to solve it by the same bits. When we solve a problem in a stepwise manner, there is a sense of achievement every step of the way. As this confidence grows, it is more likely that a solution or truth will be found or established.
The third rule is to think in an orderly manner and start with the simple thoughts before the more complex ones. Like the second rule, this is very practical and builds on the same concept of growing confidence. The problem with the second and third rule is that, in everyday life situations where we have to make choices based on what we regard as truths, we do not always have the opportunity to follow these rules due to time limits. Some truths have to be established within minutes and do not provide the benefit of breaking them down or organizing clear thoughts due to the pressure of time.
Descartes’ final rule of establishing the truth is that one has to make such complete enumerations and reviews and be sure that nothing was omitted. If this was always possible, it would be fantastic. Unfortunately, it is very unlikely that omissions would not happen. It is inherent human nature to make mistakes. This rule is therefore not very practical. Overall, Descartes has good ideas which if followed to the extent possible can help validate truths that we have to establish daily.