Meditations on the First Philosophy in which the Existence of God and the Distinction Between Mind and Body are Demonstrated 1

• Published in: Rene Descartes pp. 45 - 100
• Main Author: Tweyman, Stanley
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 1993
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: Extended Thing; Supreme Perfection; Winged Horse; Quadrilateral Figures; Hypothetico Deductive Explanations; Thinking Thing; Corporeal Objects; Book III; PARIS; Pure Mathematics; Wander; Pure Negation; Violate; General Upheaval; Follow; Terrestrial Globe; Corporeal Things; Essence Existence; Phantom; Distinct Idea; ABCD; Hold; Corporeal Nature; Intelligent Substance
• ISBN: 0415077079; 9780415077064; 9780415077071; 0415077060
• DOI: 10.4324/9780203417621-4

It is now some years since I detected how many were the false beliefs that I had from my earliest youth admitted as true, and how doubtful was everything I had since constructed on this basis; and from that time I was convinced that I must once for all seriously undertake to rid myself of all the opinions which I had formerly accepted, and commence to build anew from the foundation, if I wanted to establish any firm and permanent structure in the sciences. But as this enterprise appeared to be a very great one, I waited until I had attained an age so mature that I could not hope that at any later date I should be better fitted to execute my design. This reason caused me to delay so long that I should feel that I was doing wrong were I to occupy in deliberation the time that yet remains to me for action. To-day, then, since very opportunely for the plan I have in view I have delivered my mind from every care [and am happily agitated by no passions] and since I have procured for myself an assured leisure in a peaceable retirement, I shall at last seriously and freely address myself to the general upheaval of all my former opinions.