Concept

Cartesian doubt

Overview

form of methodological skepticism associated with the writings and methodology of René Descartes

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

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Descartes was influenced by an argument of this sort, when he brought up the possibility of a deceitful demon. Therefore what he felt certain about was not what he had initially felt certain about, but what remained certain after an argument as to the causes of perception.
Bertrand Russell, Philosophy
States what Cartesian doubt is; names Cartesian doubt.
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Hence the criticism of knowledge which philosophy employs must not be of this destructive kind, if any result is to be achieved. Against this absolute scepticism, no _logical_ argument can be advanced. But it is not difficult to see that scepticism of this kind is unreasonable. Descartes' 'methodical doubt', with which modern philosophy began, is not of this kind, but is rather the kind of criticism which we are…
Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy
Close in meaning to Cartesian doubt; the term itself is not named.
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There is a species of scepticism, _antecedent_ to all study and philosophy, which is much inculcated by Des Cartes and others, as a sovereign preservative against error and precipitate judgement. It recommends an universal doubt, not only of all our former opinions and principles, but also of our very faculties; of whose veracity, say they, we must assure ourselves, by a chain of reasoning, deduced from some…
David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding
Names Cartesian doubt.
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