Descartes

18 Pages 4589 Words

rmidable.

In Meditation Two, Descartes hits upon the indubitable principle
he has been seeking. He exists, at least when he thinks he
exists. The cogito (Descartes' proof of his own existence) has
been the source of a great deal of discussion ever since
Descartes first formulated it in the 1637 Discourse on Method,
and, I believe, a great deal of misinterpretation (quite possibly
as a result of Descartes' repeated contradictions of his own
position in subsequent writings). Many commentators have fallen
prey to the tempting interpretation of the cogito as either
syllogism or enthymeme. This view holds that Descartes asserts
that he is thinking, that he believes it axiomatic that 'whatever
thinks must exist' and therefore that he logically concludes that
he exists. This view, it seems to me, is wrong. It should be
stated on no occasion, in the Meditations, does Descartes write
'I am thinking, therefore I am', nor anything directly
equivalent. Rather, he says:

"Doubtless, then, that I existàand, le...