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Rationalism · 1596–1650

René Descartes

Dare to begin thinking again.

France · Dutch Republic · Sweden
Portraits: artistic interpretations
Philosophy

Ideas that shift your perspective.

01

Doubt as a method

Descartes provisionally suspends whatever can be doubted in order to seek a secure foundation. He recommends neither permanent suspicion nor inaction. Doubt is a radical procedure of inquiry, distinct from the practical decisions that life requires us to make without absolute certainty.

A situation to think through

When a piece of information feels convincing, distinguish its source, the available evidence and your wish to believe it. A feeling of certainty is not yet a justification.

02

The certainty of a thinking subject

Even if all his representations were deceptive, someone who doubts could not doubt that he exists while thinking. The cogito is a certainty grasped in the act of thought. It does not immediately establish the reliability of the senses or the existence of everything around us.

A situation to think through

Separate the certain experience of doubting from the explanation you give it. Acknowledging a present thought does not make its content true.

03

Guiding judgement

Analysing a difficulty, ordering the steps and checking the result: the method seeks an attentive and accountable use of reason. For Descartes, error can arise when the will affirms more than the understanding clearly perceives.

A situation to think through

Before a complex decision, write down what you know, what you assume and what is missing. You can choose an action while refusing to present a hypothesis as a fact.

04

A mind united with a body

Mind and matter are distinguished metaphysically, but we experience their union: pain and hunger are not merely external observations. Passions express this embodied condition. Understanding them can guide action; the aim is not to eliminate all feeling.

A situation to think through

When an emotion rises, consider the situation, your thoughts and your bodily reactions together. Understanding differs from simply commanding yourself to stop feeling.

Continue

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