Question

In Descartes' first meditation, he introduces three separate stages of doubt. Which of the following is not one of those stages of doubt?

1) Sensory Doubt
2) Dream Doubt
3) Evil Genius Doubt
4) Certainty Doubt

Answer 1

Descartes' first meditation includes three stages of doubt: Sensory Doubt, Dream Doubt, and Evil Genius Doubt; 'Certainty Doubt' is not one of these stages.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Descartes' first meditation, he presents three stages of doubt. The stages include Sensory Doubt, where our senses can deceive us; Dream Doubt, where he questions whether there is a definitive way to tell the difference between being awake and dreaming; and the hypothesis of an Evil Genius (or Demon) Doubt, which suggests a powerful deceiver could manipulate our perceptions and thoughts, making it impossible to have complete certainty about our knowledge.

Therefore, among the options provided, Certainty Doubt is not one of the stages of doubt introduced by Descartes in his first meditation. Descartes indeed sought certainty in knowledge, but the doubt Descartes referenced was whether such certainty could ever be achieved if one could not rule out the deception of an Evil Genius.