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Page 6
... contrary to reason , as do those who have seen nothing . But when one employs too much time in travelling , one becomes a stranger in one's own country , and when one is too curious about things which were practised in past centuries ...
... contrary to reason , as do those who have seen nothing . But when one employs too much time in travelling , one becomes a stranger in one's own country , and when one is too curious about things which were practised in past centuries ...
Page 11
... contrary to good morals , but because , being drawn up by one individual , they all tended towards the same end . And similarly I thought that the sciences found in books - in those at least whose reasonings are only probable and which ...
... contrary to good morals , but because , being drawn up by one individual , they all tended towards the same end . And similarly I thought that the sciences found in books - in those at least whose reasonings are only probable and which ...
Page 14
... contrary to ours are yet not necessarily bar- barians or savages , but may be possessed of reason in as great or even a greater degree than ourselves . I also considered how very different the self - same man , identical in mind and ...
... contrary to ours are yet not necessarily bar- barians or savages , but may be possessed of reason in as great or even a greater degree than ourselves . I also considered how very different the self - same man , identical in mind and ...
Page 20
... contrary to the order which the Method prescribes . But having noticed that the knowledge of these difficulties must be dependent on principles derived from Philosophy in which I yet found nothing to be certain , I thought that it was ...
... contrary to the order which the Method prescribes . But having noticed that the knowledge of these difficulties must be dependent on principles derived from Philosophy in which I yet found nothing to be certain , I thought that it was ...
Page 26
... contrary , my design was only to provide myself with good ground for assurance , and to reject the quicksand and mud in order to find the rock or clay . In this task it seems to me , I succeeded pretty well , since in trying to discover ...
... contrary , my design was only to provide myself with good ground for assurance , and to reject the quicksand and mud in order to find the rock or clay . In this task it seems to me , I succeeded pretty well , since in trying to discover ...
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Common terms and phrases
A. N. Whitehead able analytical geometry animal spirits appear Aristotle ARTICLE attributes believe blood body brain Cartesian ceive certainly chiliagon clear and distinct clearly and distinctly colour conceive conclusion consider contrary corporeal corporeal substance deceive deduction deny depend Descartes desire Discourse on Method discover diverse doubt easily efficient cause enumeration error essence eternal evident exist existence of God extended fact faculty false figure follow Galileo Geometry greater heat heavens hence human idea imagine inasmuch infinite intuition judge judgment knowledge Leibniz less likewise Mathematics matter means Meditation mental merely metaphysical method mind mode motion move movement nerves never nevertheless objects observe opinions ourselves pain pass passions perceive perfect philosophers possess PRINCIPLE Principles of Philosophy proceed reason recognise regard rule sciences seems sensation senses sophism soul speak spleen substance sufficient suppose syllogism tain thought tion true truth understand whole
Popular passages
Page 222 - But nevertheless, on the one hand I have a clear and distinct idea of myself, in so far as I am simply a thinking, non-extended thing; and on the other hand I have a distinct idea of body, in so far as this is simply an extended, non-thinking thing. And accordingly, it is certain that I am really distinct from my body, and can exist without it.
Page xxvi - I hold, with the Materialist, that the human body, like all living bodies, is a machine, all the operations of which will, sooner or later, be explained on physical principles. I believe that we shall, sooner or later, arrive at a mechanical equivalent of consciousness, just as we have arrived at a mechanical equivalent of heat.
Page 15 - The first of these was to accept nothing as true which I did not clearly recognize to be so: that is to say, carefully to avoid precipitation and prejudice in judgments, and to accept in them nothing more than what was presented to my mind so clearly and distinctly that I could have no occasion to doubt it.
Page 101 - For how would it be possible that I should know that I doubt and desire, that is to say, that something is lacking to me, and that I am not quite perfect, unless I had within me some idea of a Being more perfect than myself, in comparison with which I should recognise the deficiencies of my nature?
Page 72 - For example, there is the fact that I am here, seated by the fire, attired in a dressing gown, having this paper in my hands and other similar matters. And how could I deny that these hands and this body are mine...
Page 205 - MEDITATION I Of the things which may be brought within the sphere of the doubtful. It is now some years since I detected how many were the false beliefs that I had from my earliest youth admitted as true, and how doubtful was everything I had since constructed on this basis; and from that time I was convinced that I must once for all seriously undertake to rid myself of all the opinions...
Page 32 - ... that we have a body, and that there exist stars and an earth, and such like, are less certain; for, although we have a moral assurance of these things, which is so strong that there is an appearance of extravagance in doubting of their existence, yet at the same time no one, unless his intellect is impaired, can deny, when the question relates to a metaphysical certitude, that there is sufficient reason to exclude entire assurance, in the observation that...
Page 223 - I cannot distinguish in myself any parts, but apprehend myself to be clearly one and entire; and although the whole mind seems to be united to the whole body...
Page 334 - In proportion as these spirits [the animal spirits] enter the cavities of the brain, they pass thence into the pores of its substance, and from these pores into the nerves ; where, according as they enter, or even only tend to enter, more or less, into one than into another, they have the power of altering the figure of the muscles into which the nerves are inserted, and by this means of causing all the limbs to move.
Page 34 - And if I write in French, which is the language of my country, in preference to Latin, which is that of my preceptors...