"The two operations of our understanding, intuition and deduction, on which alone we have said we must rely in the acquisition of knowledge"

Rene Descartes is referring to the 2 operations of our understanding that are required for the acquisition of understanding. Instinct is the capability to comprehend something intuitively, without the requirement for mindful thinking. Reduction is the procedure of reasoning from one or more statements to reach a rational conclusion. Descartes is recommending that these 2 operations are the only dependable approaches of acquiring understanding. Intuition enables us to gain insight into a scenario without having to analyze it, while deduction enables us to draw sensible conclusions from facts and proof. Together, these two operations supply us with the tools to get knowledge. Descartes' quote emphasizes the value of both intuition and reduction in the pursuit of knowledge.