Descartes Famous Quotes

"Cogito, ergo sum."
Descartes' famous phrase "I think, therefore I am" appears in Meditations on First Philosophy when Descartes reflects on the fact that even if he doubts everything, he cannot doubt that he is doubting and thinking. Therefore, his existence as a thinking being is indubitable.
(Meditations on First Philosophy)

"The human mind is a thinking thing."
Descartes argues that the essence of the mind is to think. The mind's primary function is not extended like physical bodies, but rather engages in thinking, doubting, believing, and willing.
(Meditations on First Philosophy)

"I am really distinct from my body, and can exist without it."
In Descartes’ meditations on the mind-body distinction, he concludes that the mind and the body are separate substances. The mind can exist independently of the body, supporting his dualistic view of human nature.
(Meditations on First Philosophy)

"The idea of God is placed in me, like the mark of the workman imprinted on his work."
Descartes claims that the idea of God, as a perfect being, could not have originated from him, an imperfect being. Therefore, this idea must have been placed in him by God.
(Meditations on First Philosophy)

"Some years ago I was struck by the large number of falsehoods that I had accepted as true in my childhood, and by the highly doubtful nature of the whole edifice that I had subsequently based on them."
This quote reflects Descartes’ skepticism about the knowledge he had acquired in his youth, which motivated him to develop his method of radical doubt.
(Discourse on the Method)

"It is not enough to possess a good mind; the most important thing is to apply it correctly."
Descartes stresses the importance of using one’s intellect wisely and critically, as having intellectual capacity alone does not guarantee correct conclusions.
(Discourse on the Method)

"Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power."
Descartes emphasizes that the only things truly within our control are our thoughts. External circumstances are beyond our power, but how we think and react remains within our command.
(Meditations on First Philosophy)

"I think that generally in all things that human beings can know perfectly, it is impossible that two people should think the same without one convincing the other."
Descartes highlights the power of reason in debates, suggesting that when two rational minds come into contact, truth will eventually prevail through persuasion and conviction.
(Discourse on the Method)

"The first precept was never to accept a thing as true until I knew it as such without a single doubt."
This principle encapsulates Descartes’ method of doubt, where he resolves not to accept anything as true unless it is clear and certain.
(Discourse on the Method)

"To live without philosophizing is in truth the same as keeping the eyes closed without attempting to open them."
Descartes equates living without engaging in philosophical inquiry to being willfully blind, stressing the importance of philosophy in leading a thoughtful life.
(Principles of Philosophy)

"In order to seek truth, it is necessary once in the course of our life to doubt, as far as possible, all things."
Descartes promotes his method of radical doubt as essential to the pursuit of truth, requiring individuals to question everything they believe.
(Principles of Philosophy)

"The long chains of reasoning, simple and easy, which geometers commonly use to reach their most difficult demonstrations, had led me to believe that all things which fall under the scope of human knowledge are interconnected in the same way."
Descartes appreciates the simplicity and clarity of geometric reasoning and extends this method to other areas of knowledge.
(Discourse on the Method)

"If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things."
Here, Descartes restates his principle of doubting everything as a path to genuine knowledge and truth.
(Principles of Philosophy)

"The preservation of health should be the first study of one who is of any worth to oneself or to others."
Descartes emphasizes the importance of maintaining health, considering it the foundation for a productive and meaningful life.
(Discourse on the Method)

"I suppose, accordingly, that all the things which I see are false; I believe that none of the things which my lying memory represents ever existed; I suppose that I possess no senses; I believe that body, shape, extension, motion, and place are illusions."
Descartes expresses his radical skepticism about the external world and his own senses, doubting everything that can be doubted.
(Meditations on First Philosophy)

"The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues."
Descartes acknowledges that those with the most intellectual potential can also commit the greatest moral errors, illustrating the dual potential of human nature.
(Discourse on the Method)

"There is a great difference between the mind and the body, inasmuch as the body is by nature always divisible, while the mind is utterly indivisible."
Descartes makes a distinction between the mind and body, claiming that while the body is divisible into parts, the mind remains indivisible and unified.
(Meditations on First Philosophy)

"I concluded that I might take as a general rule the principle that all the things which we conceive very clearly and very distinctly are true."
Descartes establishes clarity and distinctness as the criteria for truth, meaning that whatever is perceived clearly and distinctly must be true.
(Discourse on the Method)

"The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries."
Descartes extols the value of reading, suggesting that engaging with great books allows one to converse with the greatest thinkers in history.
(Discourse on the Method)

"Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it."
In a letter to Princess Elizabeth, Descartes describes his method of handling personal offenses by elevating his mind above the reach of such grievances.
(Letter to Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia)

"Doubt is the origin of wisdom."
Descartes affirms that the practice of doubt is the foundation of acquiring wisdom, as it leads to greater knowledge and understanding.
(Discourse on the Method)

"Reason is nothing without imagination."
In his earlier work, Descartes acknowledges the importance of imagination as a complement to reason, allowing for the creative exploration of ideas.
(Rules for the Direction of the Mind)

"When it is not in our power to follow what is true, we ought to follow what is most probable."
Descartes advises that when certainty is not possible, one should adhere to what is most probable and reasonable.
(Discourse on the Method)

"The will is by its nature so free that it can never be constrained."
Descartes highlights the freedom of the will, asserting that it is not bound or constrained by external forces.
(Meditations on First Philosophy)

"The principal perfection of man is that he has free will."
Descartes concludes that the highest virtue of humanity lies in its freedom to choose and exercise will.
(Discourse on the Method)


Last modified: Wednesday, October 9, 2024, 1:32 AM