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Full Idea
Notoriously, the Cartesian idea that matter is purely geometrical will not do, for it leaves no distinction between matter and empty volumes: a filler for these volumes is required.
Gist of Idea
Matter can't just be Descartes's geometry, because a filler of the spaces is needed
Source
comment on René Descartes (works [1643]) by Howard Robinson - Perception IX.3
Book Ref
Robinson,Howard: 'Perception' [Routledge 2001], p.219
A Reaction
Descartes thinks of matter as 'extension'. Descartes's error seems so obvious that it is a puzzle why he made it. He may have confused epistemology and ontology - all we can know of matter is its extension in space.
| 13445 | Descartes showed a one-one order-preserving match between points on a line and the real numbers [Descartes, by Hart,WD] |
| 16774 | Descartes thinks distinguishing substances from aggregates is pointless [Descartes, by Pasnau] |
| 4310 | We have inner awareness of our freedom [Descartes] |
| 7400 | Descartes said images can refer to objects without resembling them (as words do) [Descartes, by Tuck] |
| 6553 | Descartes discussed the interaction problem, and compared it with gravity [Descartes, by Lycan] |
| 19676 | Nature is devoid of thought [Descartes, by Meillassoux] |
| 6518 | Matter can't just be Descartes's geometry, because a filler of the spaces is needed [Robinson,H on Descartes] |