When reading Rene Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy and David Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, one notices that both philosophers focus a large part of their writings on the subject of human belief. Both authors have different theories on what makes a person form those beliefs that are important in life. Through an analysis of their theories, it is possible to understand the way these two philosophers lived their lives and what type of people they were.

Descartes' theory of human belief has a few rules that set the basis of his beliefs. The word that best describes his theory is skepticism. The main doctrine that makes up his belief is: "If you doubt something at all, don't believe it."

In Descartes' Meditations, the author's main goal is to make the reader look at the world through analytical eyes. Descartes goes as far as refuting his trust of the senses, the body, and th

Another aspect of Hume's theory of belief is based on a person's certainty of an idea. If a person is strongly attached or excited by an idea, then it can be classified as a belief. Basically Hume classifies beliefs as ideas that are important to people's heart. This section of his theory is pleasing because the reader can place such important categories as religion and love into the belief category.

When David Hume analyzes what his beliefs are in An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, he comes to the conclusion that beliefs are ideas that are "lively." In order for a person to truly believe in something, they must first experience it in the real world. Hume uses an example of Adam not knowing that he would drown in water unless he had hands-on experience. A mere visual observation of the water wouldn't give him the knowledge that he could drown in the transparent liquid. This example is a concrete illustration of how reasoning can only be obt

Some common words found in the essay are:
Descartes' Meditations, Human Understanding, Descartes' Hume's, Basically Hume, David Hume, Theories Belief, hume's theory, descartes' meditations, human belief, Enquiry Concerning, Concerning Human, enquiry concerning human, theory human, theories makes, concerning human, human understanding, concerning human understanding, descartes' theory, beliefs ideas, theory human belief, enquiry concerning,
Approximate Word count = 649
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)