Descartes starts off by concluding that the existence of the body is an illusion and the senses do not exist either. It must now be demonstrated that one can exist, even though one has no body. The meditator states that he ‘has convinced [him]self of something’ (p.21). It was possible for him to convince himself of the fact that ‘nothing is certain’ (p.20). However, one can raise the question if there exists a deceiver, which tries to mislead the meditator. This would mean, that the perception of one’s existence is false and the result of the deception. However, even if there is a deceiver in form of God or an evil demon, it must be true that there has to be an ‘I' which can be deceived; one has to exist, in order to be misled. Thus, even if an omnipotent and supreme deceiver does exist, ‘he will never bring it about that I am nothing as long as I think I am something’ (p.21). It follows in conclusion that ‘I am, I exist’ is ‘necessarily true whenever it is put forward by me or conceived in my mind’
Descartes starts off by concluding that the existence of the body is an illusion and the senses do not exist either. It must now be demonstrated that one can exist, even though one has no body. The meditator states that he ‘has convinced [him]self of something’ (p.21). It was possible for him to convince himself of the fact that ‘nothing is certain’ (p.20). However, one can raise the question if there exists a deceiver, which tries to mislead the meditator. This would mean, that the perception of one’s existence is false and the result of the deception. However, even if there is a deceiver in form of God or an evil demon, it must be true that there has to be an ‘I' which can be deceived; one has to exist, in order to be misled. Thus, even if an omnipotent and supreme deceiver does exist, ‘he will never bring it about that I am nothing as long as I think I am something’ (p.21). It follows in conclusion that ‘I am, I exist’ is ‘necessarily true whenever it is put forward by me or conceived in my mind’