Ideas from 'Reply to Fifth Objections' by René Descartes [1641], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Philosophical Essays and Correspondence' by Descartes,René (ed/tr Ariew,Roger) [Hackett 2000,0-87220-502-9]].

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9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 2. Substance / a. Substance

3626	Knowing the attributes is enough to reveal a substance

			Full Idea: I have never thought that anything more is required to reveal a substance than its various attributes.
			From: René Descartes (Reply to Fifth Objections [1641], 360)

12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 3. Innate Knowledge / a. Innate knowledge

3630	Our thinking about external things doesn't disprove the existence of innate ideas

			Full Idea: You can't prove that Praxiteles never made any statues on the grounds that he did not get from within himself the marble from which he sculpted them.
			From: René Descartes (Reply to Fifth Objections [1641], 362)

18. Thought / D. Concepts / 2. Origin of Concepts / c. Nativist concepts

3631	A blind man may still contain the idea of colour

			Full Idea: How do you know that there is no idea of colour in a man born blind?
			From: René Descartes (Reply to Fifth Objections [1641], 363)

28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / a. Ontological Proof

3640	Possible existence is a perfection in the idea of a triangle

			Full Idea: Possible existence is a perfection in the idea of a triangle, just as necessary existence is a perfection in the idea of God.
			From: René Descartes (Reply to Fifth Objections [1641], 383)

3639	Necessary existence is a property which is uniquely part of God's essence

			Full Idea: In the case of God necessary existence is in fact a property in the strictest sense of the term, since it applies to him alone and forms a part of his essence as it does of no other thing
			From: René Descartes (Reply to Fifth Objections [1641], 383)