He wondered if there was anything he could know for certain. He pondered through the questions of God, ideas and the existence of external objects. He searched for answers to these questions even if the answer he received was that nothing can be known for certain. Even though Descartes knew they there was a chance that his judgment was not correct. He believed and justified the belief of the existence of external objects. He composed certain arguments to justify his beliefs which are demonstrated in his second and fourth meditations. .
In Descartes second meditation he proposes that the only reason that could give physical objects a reality is the effect of how are mind perceives them. (Descartes, 31) It is the rational characteristics that our mind attaches to any physical objects. In order to prove this he gives an example of wax. Descartes slowly examines a piece of wax, and he takes in all essential characteristics that a piece of wax has such as color, texture, shape. These are all physical characteristics that make up and distinguish the wax. When the wax is then under heat, the physical qualities of the wax all seem to change. (Descartes, 30) Descartes then concludes that the piece of wax may take on many different forms alienated from its original. Although our senses perceive the changing qualities of the wax, we are still aware that it is a piece of wax because of our intellect and how our body attaches the rational principles to any physical object. Descartes does believe in the existence of an external object as it is perceived through our mind, which is indeed thinking, not through our senses.
In Descartes sixth meditation he analyses the argument of the existence of external and material things. Descartes is certain that material objects do exist in the form of perfect mathematics. He also believes that his imagination makes him believe that external objects do exist. (Descartes, 72) Descartes further analyses the difference between imagination and intellect as he introduced in his second Meditation.
