more from René Descartes

Single Idea 6930

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / B. Certain Knowledge / 5. Cogito Critique]

Full Idea

The self-consciousness of modern philosophy is only a being ideated and mediated through abstraction and thus a doubtful being; certain and immediately assured is only that which is an object of the senses, perception and feeling.

Clarification

An 'ideated' thing consists only of ideas; 'mediated through' means 'by means of'

Gist of Idea

Modern self-consciousness is a doubtful abstraction; only senses and feelings are certain

Source

comment on René Descartes (Meditations [1641], 2) by Ludwig Feuerbach - Principles of Philosophy of the Future §37

Book Reference

Feuerbach,Ludwig: 'Principles of the Philosophy of the Future', ed/tr. Vogel,M [Hackett 1986], p.55


A Reaction

This seems to agree with Hume's empirical doubts about the self (Idea 1316). The comment that 'abstraction' is involved in the Cogito argument is interesting. Descartes said the Cogito was a 'simply intuition of the mind' (Idea 3622).

Related Ideas

Idea 1316 Introspection always discovers perceptions, and never a Self without perceptions [Hume]

Idea 3622 The Cogito is not a syllogism but a self-evident intuition [Descartes]