Descartes Discourse 1-3

Summary:

Descartes believes very strongly in common sense and mathematics. He recognizes that many times we can perceive things incorrectly because we are looking at them incorrectly. Though he studied a lot he did not feel that he gained a lot of knowledge. He sought knowledge through books and traveling yet still wasn’t satisfied. He then decides to disregard everything that is merely probable and that he learned by example and custom alone. He believes that one person with a proper understanding of common sense is better than a group of people. Subsequently, change must occur first on a personal level before it can make its way to the political level. He decided to “search for the correct method for acquiring knowledge.” His four points were: avoid prejudice, subdivide each problem, guide thoughts in an orderly way, don’t omit anything. Then he sets four guidelines for pursuing such knowledge: obey the law, follow through with a problem, realize that only thoughts are under his control, and find the right occupation for such an endeavor. He traveled for nine years observing and collecting information until rumor had started that he was completing his book, so he did.

Question:

Is Descartes subscribing to situational ethics? “I approved of something at one time, I was still obliged to consider it good subsequently when, perhaps, it may have cased to be good”