Blog post: Genecks: Descartes' Demon

Before philosophyforums.com was hacked, there was something I was touching on in relation to Rene Descartes. What that was, was how there has been a lack of literature touching on Descartes' demon.

The problem I have is that Descartes has no legitimate reason to believe his senses are correct. The phrase "I think; therefore I am" is flawed. Along a time-space spectrum, his thinking occurs along various points in times as does his identity. As a Buddhist concept, the self is changing, one flame on a candle being transferred to another candle. So, he is never the same self as he is contemplating his own existence: He is simply deceived as to having a whole "self."

Thus, the demon, metaphorically, is his ignorance. However, I can take this a step further and actually bring a demon into existence, as much as bringing a God into existence. The idea that God is the Truth is an issue, because if God is everything, then God is not only the Truth but also The Illusion. And, sure enough, God eludes us all, thus being a masterful illusionist preventing its existence being known.

But I think the illusion is the demon, the ignorance. Synonymous.

So, with that, I'd like to put forth that reality may as well be an illusion. It's both an illusion and the truth. The truth is that reality is an illusion.
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