Philosophy in its actual terms is a way of making one self free from false beliefs by engaging in thoughtful questioning and criticizing every idea including the most obvious. In this, we are able to establish the truth of the world surrounding us. However it is not always obvious that the doubts and questioning lead to an answer. Some of the answers are not easily achievable, therefore one is better off to live wisely amidst the unfounded truths. In this paper, we try to establish the position of knowledge and self according to the works of two great philosophers. These are Plato and Descartes. Both of these two philosophers engaged in different methods of thought to establish a way in which to arrive at the absolute truth.

Descartes process of establishing knowledge is referred to as foundationalism. Through his meditations, we learn that he started off his journey of establishing the truth by doubting everything he was taught. He denounced every thing he was taught to believe because he felt that it was a human tendency that he believes what is false (John & Bernard, p 56-59). He believed that everything he was taught came along as a result of perception and senses which are sometimes deceived. He says that we must discard all our beliefs and examine each one of them individually to establish its viability. He however says that we can’t put away all our beliefs because then we would have no basis for recovering them. This would in turn make us not able to justify anything. According to him, there is no even a single belief based on the senses that does not evoke doubt.
Descartes built his realm of knowledge through doubting. He doubted everything in the physical existence including his body. According to him, we should only believe that which is subjected to rational scrutiny. He doubted everything around him but realized that there was only one thing that he could not doubt, and that was the fact that he doubted. For the fact that he doubted, it meant he existed. This is because he couldn’t doubt if he wasn’t existing. If he was dreaming, then it also means that he had to exist so as to dream; whether in physical form or spirit. This idea brings in Descartes view of the division between the mind and body. The body is a mere automation of the mind. For him, the existence of his mind such that it could doubt was the beginning of knowledge. John and Cottingham (p 63) says that separation between the body and the mind makes it possible that senses can lie but mind is able to establish the truth beyond the body senses and perceptions.

If he wasn’t aware of himself, then there would be nothing that is certain. If nothing is certain then it means he is deceived. This also means that he should exist in order to be deceived. He therefore realized that he existed. If he existed then he could actively subject his mind to active thoughts and doubting to establish the certainty of all the other beliefs. According to him, establishing the self’s existence plays an important role in establishing knowledge. It should be the starting point or foundation to existing knowledge. This means that failure to establish the existence of self shows that nothing can ever be certain any more. A true knowledge of an object comes from understanding rather than images and sensation (Allen, 36-38).

According to Plato, knowledge is built from the understanding of the ideas behind an object. His approach to knowledge centers on the essence of idealism. He believes that whatever we see in the real world does not represent what they really are. This means that knowledge exists in a separate world from the one that all of us exist. It exists in a world where the true basis of reality exists. This is where Plato is seen to criticize the general knowledge that exists in the minds of every one. He believes that the true knowledge or intelligence only comes from ones ability to understand the world of forms where we do not dwell on the appearance of the objects but the ideas behind them. He believes that the world we live in is a mere shadow of the real world. For him knowledge comes from seeking to understand the world of ideas (Allen, p 72-75).