Diana Wong27 February 2014English 1AProfessor HongKnowledge and RationalityIs it possible for human beings to rise above the sensory interpretation of the world and become an intellectual? Both Plato's “The Allegory of the Cave” and René Descartes' “Cogito, Ergo Sum” examine this problem and come to the conclusion that it is possible, and from this ascent, to become certain and rational. For each author, however, this happens in different ways. Plato's allegory emphasizes that we must look beyond the surface of the knowledge we learn and let the idea of ​​good be our basis in life. Descartes states that we must eliminate doubt in order to know certainty and feel comfortable in our knowledge. It's easy for us to believe that what we experience with our senses is true, even in our dreams, but according to Descartes, we should look beyond our senses and use reasoning to determine what is certain. Descartes' question: "How do we now that the thoughts that arise in us while we dream are more false than others, since they are often no less vivid and explicit?" (34), is asked so that we recognize that our senses can easily deceive us. This should then lead us to use reasoning to distinguish between truth and illusion, and both authors agree that reasoning should be the guide to true knowledge. Although he believes in the attainability of some knowledge through the use of reasoning, Descartes argues that there are only few things we can be certain of. Descartes' philosophy “Cogito, Ergo Sum”, which means I think, therefore I am, demonstrates this. He believes that because our mind recognizes that we can think and have doubts, we can be sure of our existence; if we stopped at ... middle of the paper ......y achieved when the individual focuses on the good and achieves higher education, which is clearly a parallel to Descartes' argument. Plato and Descartes have similarities and differences in their views on intellectual ascension and the ability to achieve certain knowledge and the scope of rationality. Both authors agree that to achieve certainty we must look beyond the surface and have a deeper understanding, but Descartes argues that, even then, only few things can be certain. Furthermore, both Plato and Descartes recognize that the source of reasoning is a higher power. However, Descartes believes that God is the perfect being and that we should depend on him for truth and reason, while goodness is the basis of reasoning for Plato. If we follow the philosophies of Plato and Descartes, then we can avoid relying solely on our senses and be fulfilled intellectuals.