In René Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy, he argues that the senses do not accurately help us understand the world. Descartes writes that he began to doubt all his ideas. He decides that all those ideas come from the senses, which are not reliable. In the early meditations, Descartes shows that one can use one's senses to help them understand the nature of things, but the senses alone are not sufficient to determine their truthfulness. Descartes supports this argument through the discussion of dreams, one's existence, and wax. Through these examples, Descartes demonstrates that the role of the senses is in the mind rather than the body, demonstrating that the mind and body are separate. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Dreams as proof that one's perceptions can be deceptive Descartes argues that dreaming can demonstrate the lack of use of the senses in the body. When you dream, you usually don't know that you are dreaming. If you don't know you're dreaming, you can't know when you're awake. Descartes writes: “Certainly everything that up to now I have admitted as truest I have received either from the senses or through the senses. However, I have noticed that the senses are sometimes deceptive; and it is a sign of prudence never to place all our trust in those who have deceived us even once." If the senses are felt in dreams as well as in reality, Descartes argues, then one cannot know whether they are actually dreaming or awake. One might conclude that any knowledge that is based on the senses should be examined, as it may be a deception. Descartes writes that every situation could be a deception of the senses. Even a realistic situation like sitting by the fire in a dressing gown might just be a dream, “how often does my evening sleep persuade me of such ordinary things as these: that I am here, dressed in a dressing gown, sitting by the fireplace – when in reality I am in bed naked." Descartes can feel the heat of the fire so much in his dream that it seems real. Furthermore, if his senses make him believe he can feel heat, he cannot trust the heat of the fire when he is awake. Descartes' dream argument shows that although the senses aid in understanding, the senses cannot determine the truth. The senses can help understand things like Descartes' senses allow him to understand that fire is hot. In this case, the senses cannot determine whether Descartes is feeling the heat of the fire or dreaming of the heat of the fire. While dreaming, Descartes thinks about heat but actually feels heat, showing that mind and body are not one thing. Descartes claims that doubt is the only way for him to discern between truth and falsehood. If doubt is the only way for him to distinguish it, then the determination of truth, for Descartes, cannot be effected through the body. It must be done through the mind and through thought. Descartes writes in his Second Meditation: “what then will be true? Maybe just the fact that nothing is certain." Descartes argues that the only thing a person can know is that things can be doubtful. If that person doubts then that person must be something; that person exists. To understand it you have to use your thoughts. Your own body will only help you understand further. This topic also represents things that are knowable without sensory experience but through intellectual experience. Descartes' Wax Argument as Evidence for the Separation of Body and Mind When describing something, the senses offer clues as to how to describe it. Descartes describes the wax: “…it has not yet lost all the flavor of honey. It retains some of the scent of the flowers...", and so on. Descartes.