Descartes' Wax Example

The Wax

Even after his Cogito argument, Descartes is still unsure of the clarity of his knowledge. The external world, it seems to him, still seems more distinct and real than the percepetion that he exists.

As an experiment, Descartes takes a piece of wax and examines it: its smell, texture, shape, colour - all these seem to Descartes to embody the distinct qualities that we associate with wax. However, subjecting it to the heat of the fire, the wax melts before his eyes, leaving him to ask 'What, then, was it I knew with so much distinctness in the piece of wax?'

The second Meditation continues Descartes' search for one thing he can be certain of - even if it turns out to be merely that he cannot be certain of anything.

Firstly, having dismissed sense experience as providing unreliable information, he turns inwards towards the mind itself...