Rene Descartes Discourse On Method Essay

In Discourse on Method, by Rene Descartes, when Descartes describes his three methods that go toward ones provisional morality, one can see the comparisons in the “unspoken moral code” and the three maxims. I believe that not only do these maxims apply to everyone but they are in fact still applicable in today's time. For the first maxim, to obey the laws and customs of one's own country (Descartes, 19), it goes without saying that everyone is taught from an early age you must follow the rules to be considered a good person that contributes to society. Along with it being a personal moral code it seems that everyone has adopted this line of thinking to guide judgments and stray from unethical behavior. For example, since the law states you have to follow the speed limit if you were caught breaking that regulation you are given a ticket to try and deter the criminal behavior.

We can see this applied in our time today when people have to make decisions such as, what flavor coffee to get, what subject to get a degree in, and even something such as deciding to take a job offer requires a decision that you must be certain of to have a positive mindset about the action you chose. Also, I think this maxim is also trying to say if you believe in your decision you will eventually find your way to where you need to be instead of “wandering the forest