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Full Idea
My inability to grasp an infinite chain of successive causes without a first cause does not entail that there must be a first cause, just as my inability to grasp infinite divisibility of finite things does not make that impossible.
Gist of Idea
We can't prove a first cause from our inability to grasp infinity
Source
René Descartes (Reply to First Objections [1641], 106)
Book Ref
Descartes,René: 'Meditations on First Philosophy etc.', ed/tr. Cottingham,John [CUP 1986], p.87
16634 | I can't be unaware of anything which is in me [Descartes] |
3634 | We can't prove a first cause from our inability to grasp infinity [Descartes] |
3635 | Essence must be known before we discuss existence [Descartes] |