The argument leads to a contradiction and if you accept a certain premise and it leads you to a contradiction, you dismiss the belief. Rather than relying on the doubtful senses, we can seek out truths and knowledges with just the mind. Descartes foundation begins with I exist because it is the fundamental truth and does not come from the senses. God exists because you understand that he exists. God is more powerful than an evil demon that may try to deceive my senses, however, since He created humans, the senses are not being manipulated. If you can trust your senses, you can have reason. If youre careful with your senses and reasoning, you can justify science. Descartes is able to build the body of knowledge in a foundational way that gives order and justification. .
Lockes empiricist account is more plausible he believes that the mind at birth is a blank slate that does not contain innate ideas, contrary to Descartes belief. Innate ideas does not qualify to be innate because it admits that experience is required to trigger the knowledge. It is locked up in the mind and must have consciousness that the knowledge exists. It is evident, that all children doesnt have any thought of the innate ideas (Locke p.207) .With this statement, it targets the main idea of Descartes statement, dismissing the fact. Furthermore, Locke denies the concept of the Cogito argument. An empiricist considers that all knowledge must be obtained through the senses and one can prove that we exist just by using the senses. By using the senses to experience our existence, looking at the body, you know you exist. Sense experience is the basis for knowledge which we can prove that we exist. A proof that we are alive beyond reasonable doubt. .
Locke continues to talk about the experience we receive from the world and that they may differ. There are two qualities, primary and secondary where primary are qualities that exist in the object without the object being perceived and secondary are properties we ascribe to them because we are observing them, all in the mind.
