method, referred to as methodological doubt, must be used as a tool for distinguishing.

             ignorance from knowledge. .

             As founder of the Cartesian coordinates, Descartes believed that geometry.

             represented the ideal source of knowledge. Intending to extend the Cartesian certainty.

             of mathematics to all areas of human knowledge, he discarded the authoritarian systems.

             of the scholastic philosophers, who lacked method, and began with this methodological.

             doubt to obtain knowledge. This system resembles the axiomatic, geometric system.

             Axioms, were self evident principals which were "so clear and distinct" that they could.

             not be doubted, and therefore accepted as certain and undoubtedly contents of.

             knowledge . He discovered that these intuitively certain principals, (axioms), were the.

             foundations of which knowledge must be based on. He believed that intuition, not the.

             senses, provided the foundation of clear and distinct axioms. He explains that "for true.

             knowledge of external things seems to belong to the [rational] mind alone, not the.

             composite of mind and body[senses]" .

             The Content and Objects of Knowledge--David Hume.

             Contrary to his rational predecessor, British philosopher David Hume approached.

             his epistemology with an empirical view. Because he denied miracles and other religious.

             dogmas, he believed that clarification was the first thing he needed to do in order to.

             remove them, as well as dissolve the Cartesian method of thinking. This is to say that he.

             wanted a clean slate (Tabula Ross.)To do this, he believed that, unlike Descartes axioms .

             (first principals,) perceptions were the main content of knowledge. Hume believed that a.

             prori ideas did not exist and that our ideas are not innate, but derived purely from.

             experience of "perceptions. According to Hume, "perceptions," can be reduced to.

             impressions and ideas. He believed that humans learned ideas through impressions, and.