Meditations on First Philosophy Summary

In a quest for unquestionable knowledge, the protagonist decides to discard all his previous beliefs, as they were based on sensory perception, which he believes can be easily deceived. His skepticism extends to the point where he questions the legitimacy of everything he perceives through his senses, as he could be trapped in a dream or be the victim of a superior being's deceit, leading him to the conclusion that his senses are not reliable in the pursuit of truth.

However, in this vortex of doubt, he stumbles upon an undeniable fact - his own existence. This realization stems from the understanding that thought and doubt must have a source, a thinker or doubter. Despite potential deception about other aspects of reality, he concludes that his existence is undeniable and that his existence as a thinking entity is disclosed through his intellect, which he believes is more known to him than his physical form.

His confidence in his existence is a result of a distinct and clear perception. He begins to question what other truths he can discern through this method. But before accepting his clear and distinct perceptions as undoubtable, he seeks to confirm God's existence. He believes that the idea of a perfect God could only be implanted by a being as perfect as God. This leads him to the conclusion of God's existence and trust in God's perfection preventing deception. Any errors, he believes, stem from premature judgments made by the will on matters the limited intellect doesn't fully comprehend. With this faith in God, he investigates physical entities, discerning their primary attributes, such as size, shape, and breadth. He concludes that the essence of physical existence is extension, while the essence of his mind is thought, leading him to believe that mind and body are distinct entities. He also realizes that while primary qualities of things can be perceived clearly, secondary qualities are often blurred due to the sensory limitations, which he believes are designed for practical navigation in the world rather than truth-seeking.