How Can We Be Certain About Anything At All?

Various philosophers have explored the concept of truth and its certainty or

otherwise. The essay considers the notion of certainty about anything as expounded by

Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Nietzsche. Views among these philosophers differ, but a

constant factor is that there are grey areas regarding the certainty of what we consider the

truth. While each of these perspectives has its theoretical grounding, the common

denominator is that we can only be certain about the naturally occurring. However,

anything that is subjectively constructed or that is beyond our comprehension is

surrounded with uncertainty.

Firstly, Descartes adopts a pessimistic perspective in this exploration. To him,

anything that has the slightest possibility of doubt ought to be regarded as false until it is

determined that it can be known with certainty. Despite this restrictive definition of what

can be known with certainty, Descartes holds that imagination and perception can be

known to exist with certainty and constitute “modes of consciousness” in one’s mind.

However, one cannot ascertain if these imaginations have any connection to the truth.

Besides, what one perceives through the senses may not be true. We are only certain that

the mind exists and physical objects can only be accurately perceived by one who has

intellect. The restrictive definition also implies that individuals can also only perceive

with certainly what is confined to the finite world. Therefore, the infinite is beyond our

comprehension, at least with certainty. Descartes’ exposition concludes that the mind is

an organ for thinking, but one that creates perceptions and thoughts that we can only

know with uncertainty.