Second Essay Assignment Descartes

        Descartes created a new method of thinking and evaluating the world. This new method is called Cartesian method. The basis of Cartesian method is doubt. Descartes created this method by doubting everything including existence of the world and himself. As this is a very radical way to think, it is not very possible to agree and not to agree with his ideas at the same time. As a result, Cartesian method divided the later philosophers and sophisticated thinkers into two. Some agreed with Descartes and dedicated themselves to Cartesian method whereas some thought he was horribly wrong. I will try to evaluate Voltaire's ideas on Descartes.
        To begin with, Voltaire was also among people who thought that Descartes went horribly wrong with his ideas. As I will evaluate what Voltaire thought Descartes was wrong a similarity between them caught my attention. Voltaire said that " Descartes was wrong about everything that counts in philosophy and science, but he was wrong in an interesting and methodical way." As Voltaire's ideas regarding Descartes, I think that Voltaire disagrees with Descartes in an interesting way. He gives credit to his "singular" mind and his ideas about geometry. Voltaire just thought that he went wrong when he chose the path of imagination instead of real. He revealed his thoughts on this matter with these words," Geometry was a guide that he himself in a certain sense formed, and which would have led him with certainty in his physics; however, in the end he abandoned this guide, and gave himself over to the system-making spirit." This is actually very interesting because the foundation of Cartesian method is built with "real". Voltaire thought that when Descartes discovered geometry, he could have understand what is actually "real" by looking at geometry's applications on physics and stop doubting. I think that Descartes was faced with a controversial situation when he doubted the existence of everything. This doubt led him to ignore the existence of more concrete things and reach to the conclusion of a god, whose existence is ever doubted. He doubted so many things that he was forced to give credit to something more than a man for the creation of this orderly chaos.
        To conclude, Voltaire gave credit to Descartes for the singular method he used in the search of truth. As he thought he was horribly wrong with his ideas, he told; " His errors serve as a warning to philosophers not to neglect empirical evidence and concrete applications in favor of abstract systems." He warned the next generation of philosophers not to make the mistakes Descartes did but also gave him credit for " destroying the absurd chimeras" which were held upon them for two thousand years.