Discourse On The Method And Meditations On First Philosophy

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Discourse On The Method And Meditations On First Philosophy

by René Descartes, David Weissman (Editor), William Theodore Bluhm

3.52 · rating details · 4,055 ratings · 128 reviews

Contained here are two of the most important philosophy works ever written, Descartes' "Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking for Truth in the Sciences" and "Meditations on First Philosophy." Descartes, who is considered to be one of the founding fathers of modern philosophy, lays forth the basics of his philosophy and exp...more

paper, 400 pages

Published August 28th 1996 by Yale University Press (first published 1637)

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Feb 09, 2012

Stephen rated it

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Shelves: classics, easton-press, philosophy, non-fiction, 1500-1799, classics-european

Very unfortunate hair notwithstanding,

Rene “I think, therefore I exist” Descartes was one of the most influential contemplators in the history of philosophy and was instrumental in fomenting the modern modes of intellectual exploration known as deductive reasoning and the scientific method. While he was certainly not alone in the wilderness championing the transformation of knowledge accumulation methods, he was definitely among the significant trail-blazers dropping bread crum...more

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Aug 11, 2008

Tim rated it

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In the Discourse Descartes is charming, down-to-earth, and his investigation of skepticism is exciting, fun and profound at the same time. That’s a rare combination in philosophy, at least in my experience - only Plato and Chuang Tzu come to mind as similar in this respect (maybe Nietzsche, but he’s such a ninny). Although Descartes’ skepticism is arguably a borrowing from ancient philosophy, his turning it into a method of investigation appears to be original, and it was enormously important ...moreIn the Discourse Descartes is charming, down-to-earth, and his investigation of skepticism is exciting, fun and profound at the same time. That’s a rare combination in philosophy, at least in my experience - only Plato and Chuang Tzu come to mind as similar in this respect (maybe Nietzsche, but he’s such a ninny). Although Descartes’ skepticism is arguably a borrowing from ancient philosophy, his turning it into a method of investigation appears to be original, and it was enormously important in the development of modern science as well as modern philosophy.

I think his famous cogito ergo sum (I think, therefore I am) is flawed – perception of thought proves the existence of operating consciousness, but not the existence of an individual, thinking being. Hair-splitting and navel-gazing to some, a big deal to others. But all good, clean fun. The Meditations, on the other hand, is not so charming, it’s often boring, and it’s sometimes profound and sometimes not very. It has a couple weak and fallacious arguments for the existence of God - you get the impression that, after the relentless skepticism of his Discourse and the first couple meditations, and in light of Galileo’s travails, he’s trying to keep himself in the good graces of the Church and neither his heart or head are completely in the proofs of God and the things leading up to them. At least that’s the impression I get. If I exist.

But I’m a bit hard on Rene, and he lived in hard times. The Discourse, written in French, was aimed at a more popular audience while the Meditations, written in Latin, was for scholars. And it is more substantial. Speaking of Chuang Tzu, Descartes could have lifted his dreaming argument from the old sage, but it’s highly unlikely he’d ever heard of him (and his recollection-like a priori knowledge of mathematical objects is straight out of Plato’s Meno). This dreaming together with the evil god concept puts us in pretty shaky epistemological territory. The search for anything knowable is a logical next step, but beyond that Descartes tends to build his house with quite a few cards. Still, it’s probably not unreasonable to say that what he accomplished was revolutionary, and that it engendered a remarkable quantity and quality of further developments for hundreds of years. To be fair, Descartes’ mind-body dualism is pretty much from Plato as well; apparently he wasn’t big on attribution, but so it goes.
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Jan 11, 2008

Ben rated it

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Shelves: classics, academic

Written after I read this as a junior in college:

René Descartes spent much of his life in travel, studying the great works of philosophers and scientists. After the majority of his formal learning was completed, Descartes began writing prolifically. The Discourse on Method, written in Holland, and finished in 1637, was written not long after his previous works of, Rules for the Direction of the Mind (1629), and Treatise on the World (1633) were completed. In accompaniment to Disco...moreWritten after I read this as a junior in college:

René Descartes spent much of his life in travel, studying the great works of philosophers and scientists. After the majority of his formal learning was completed, Descartes began writing prolifically. The Discourse on Method, written in Holland, and finished in 1637, was written not long after his previous works of, Rules for the Direction of the Mind (1629), and Treatise on the World (1633) were completed. In accompaniment to Discourse on Method, were three essays entitled Dioptric, Meteors, and Geometry. Although his philosophy was accepted by some, the majority of Holland found his works controversial and radical.

This work is a great representation of the thought that was evolving during this time period. The era of enlightenment was emerging, and the new approach was positivistic in scope–to verify everything with absolute fact. Descartes’ Discourse on Methods is a representative work of the important link between metaphysical thought and objective scientific discovery. Descartes believed that only things sensed can be defined as real, even more particular, only things that can be reasoned are legitimate. According to Descartes, even God is legitimized only to the degree that Descartes himself can sense and reason. The only way to know if something exists, argued Descartes, is that it can be measured. This is very significant because the emerging philosophy of all great minds of the time period, is that of scientific verification–of understanding the world through measuring, sensing, gathering, analyzing, and concluding. Through his study and thought, Descartes discovers that great advances may be made in the world as man discovers how to explain, and eventually control the things he can change; the physical things around him.

As with any other man who emerges with “enlightened” philosophy–new knowledge to the public, his work is not accepted by the majority at first. This method however, becomes the approach that many succeeding scientific minds adopt. As these scientists later implement these principles, they discover many scientific advances that greatly benefit society.

It was very interesting to read how Descartes went about finding truth in his own life. Although his singular use of reasoning led him to many important truths, it also resulted in a few false assumptions. His false interpretation about the mechanisms of the beating heart show us that even a man who’s life and thoughts were devoted to the power of reason, cannot always make an accurate deductive interpretation of all the facts that surround him. Science in all its forms requires constant testing and refining.

Descartes also admits that his knowledge came not from divine bestowal, as he believed it had come to many of the other philosophers and scientists. His knowledge, he claimed, came from the reading of many great books, his education, and his travels abroad. And yet with all of his knowledge and reasoning powers, he humbly admits that the more he learned, the more he found he didn’t know. This principle can be applied to all who don’t believe they have bestowed with intellectual treasures from God. Persistence and hunger for truth can lift any man to greatness.
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May 20, 2008

Jack Bates rated it

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Recommends it for: Philosophers

A great edition of one of the most significant philosophical works in modern times. This discussion of the method for which Frances Bacon was missing is one of the most enlightening reads an individual can embark upon. I would recommend this as required reading for any middles school child through high school and on in to college. This is also a book that should be revisited from time to time. Life experience will definitely influence how much a reader gets from this work as the more the re...more

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Jul 01, 2011

Sophy added it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Sophy by: teacher

read and re read
though to be taken with caution
i haven't read it in years
i don't trust anything however can't say that is new
should probably read it again.
good conversation starter
not for the weak of heart or mind
spent the next year of my life (i exaggerate perhaps) attempting to ascend or descend platforms at the least justifying my ability to do so. once there finding purpose. oh philosophy.
for rizzeal.
neitzche comes in handy after the illusory wor...more

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May 21, 2011

Steve rated it

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Shelves: philosophy

Discourse on Method is sort of boring. Meditations on First Philosophy is more interesting yet more fallacious (those two qualities go together more often than they don't).

DISCOURSE ON METHOD:

There's too much to say about Descartes for a GR review. I'll just say that (1) Descartes caused me a great deal of anxiety and skepticism as a teenager; (2) I don't completely agree or disagree with him on the soul; (3) he gets the straw man treatment from every pop sci writer and I fin...more

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Dec 08, 2009

Chris added it · review of another edition

Descaretes's, Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy, is a very thought provoking book on Descartes's method of applying reason in thought. There are many things that he talks about that I agree with and a few things that I disagree with. He starts out saying that evry person has equal reasoning and the reason for different oppinions is surroundings and interpretation. He mentions to listen to ones self because perfection comes from individuals, not groups of people. According t...more

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Aug 19, 2009

Lewis rated it

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Shelves: philosophy

'I think therefore I am' Probably the most quoted philosophical reference around today. But people generally don't know what it means!
Descartes is reputed as the Father of Modern Philosophy, the bringer of new ways of thinking, of revising our beliefs. Though a blatant sexist, speciesist and bigot he was a man of his time. His philosophy however was not.
Imagine an evil genius, he has your brain in a jar somewhere and is manipulating it to make you believe all that you perceive around...more

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Sep 01, 2010

Anita graham rated it

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Shelves: 2010, philosophy

Descartes starts out in his Discourse questioning if we have have good sense, how we reason, if schooling helps us learn,and what the written word does for the mind. He doesn't answer all of these but seems to believe that knowledge leads to knowledge and that we will always question everything. He says that we need to know world history and customs in order to respect that whch is different from ourselves while being careful not to forget our own customs when removed from them.

The m...more

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Oct 24, 2009

Lanny added it · review of another edition

Shelves: school-books

"Thus the diversity of our views does not result from the fact that some people are more reasonable than others, but simply from the fact that we guide our thoughts along different paths and do not think about the same things. For it is not enough to have a good mind; it is more important to use it well." P.5

"The first [maxim:] was to obey the laws and customs of my own country, holding firmly to the religion in which, by the grace of God, I had been instructed from ...more

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Jun 10, 2007

Colleen rated it

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Shelves: work-related, philosophy

Not exactly pleasure reading, but it is interesting that in an attempt to prove the existence of a god, he only managed to prove that he exists. Oh yeah, and thanks for the mind-body problem D, thanks a lot.

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Feb 17, 2009

Janet rated it

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Shelves: coz-they-made-me-read-it, hey-i-m-learning-here

I think, therefore I am. Can I just say something here? This Descartes guy was crazy! I'm sure people with more expansive minds than mine really get into this stuff but honestly, I have no use for it. Dude wrote three pages on what happens when wax melts and how he knows or doesn't know if it's still wax or not. This is relevant to making the world go around, how?

Philosophy lovers, please don't barrage me with comments or explanations. I'm paying big time money at the universi...more

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Dec 11, 2010

Billie Pritchett rated it

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In Descartes's Discourse on Method, he outlines his principles for how to reason well and how science ought to proceed in its investigations. In Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes applies his method to what he takes as fact and determines, above all, that the mind is separate from the body and that God exists. With regard to the former, one of his arguments for the idea of separation of mind and body is actually based on a naturalistic scientific perspective. With regard to the latter, s...more

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Jan 20, 2011

Sarah Kholusi rated it

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Shelves: academic-books

I studied some chaptersof it in college, I haven't read all of it. But I liked it.

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Jul 10, 2007

Seth rated it

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Recommends it for: well, you would have to have a high IQ

I cannot comment on this book. I am, upon honest reflection, inadequate to say anything.

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Oct 24, 2011

Jacob Stubbs rated it

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Shelves: philosophy

So, I only read the Discourse out of this edition, but I've read the same translator's Meditations elsewhere.

It was fascinating returning to Descartes. His Method seems to be strong, but he has to use argumentation (which comes in later in his "house of thought" [for lack of a better term]) to reach the idea of God, which then validates reason. I still think Arnauld had his Cartesian circle correct. That being said, Descartes greatly shows Modernity, killing the immaterial...more

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Sep 12, 2011

Erik rated it

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Shelves: non-fiction, personal-library, they-made-me-read-this, french

Here's an essay I wrote in about... an hour and a half? for my philosophy class.

René Descartes was born in La Haye, France on March 31, 1596. He was enrolled at La Flèche, the Jesuit College, at age ten. Throughout his career, Descartes contributed much to both thought and mathematics. Among other things, he introduced to the realm of thought the idea of “duality” (the separation of the mind and the body) and the ever-famous maxim “cogito ergo sum.” To mathematics, he introduced the...moreHere's an essay I wrote in about... an hour and a half? for my philosophy class.

René Descartes was born in La Haye, France on March 31, 1596. He was enrolled at La Flèche, the Jesuit College, at age ten. Throughout his career, Descartes contributed much to both thought and mathematics. Among other things, he introduced to the realm of thought the idea of “duality” (the separation of the mind and the body) and the ever-famous maxim “cogito ergo sum.” To mathematics, he introduced the Cartesian coordinate system, a great feat in itself. Descartes died on February 11, 1650 in Stockholm, Sweden (Descartes, 1968).

One of Descartes main contributions to thought came from his metaphysics. Descartes believed in duality, which, as previously stated, is the separation of the mind from the body. In his fourth discourse on method, he said “… the mind, by which I am what I am, is entirely distinct from the body, and moreover, that even if the body were not, it would not cease to be all that it is” (p. 54). He came upon this realization when he found that he could use his mind to pretend that he had no body and that he was in no real place (he likened this state to sleeping and dreaming). He could not, however, pretend that he did not exist, for the very act of using his mind (“thinking,” as it is called) proved his existence. Thus, “cogito ergo sum:” I think, therefore, I am. Descartes fashioned most of his philosophy around this cognition and the doubt which brought it about. However, he believed that underlying all of the potential hallucinations of the senses, there were truths (much like Plato’s belief that there was a realm of universal truths and that one merely needed to “discover it”). The body, which possibly was constantly relaying false information, would be perpetually changing, while the mind, which, if used correctly, was a tool in the discovery of truth, was perpetually the same. Descartes’ universe consisted of two substances, the mind and the body – the first, which was held constant, and the second being a source of perpetual change.

According to his fourth meditation, Descartes said “I owe everything I posses to God” (p. 133). He began this meditation with the belief that if he were created by this supreme being, he could never be mistaken because the supreme being would never be mistaken. However, he found that this was not the case because he was, in fact, “subject to an infinity of errors” (p. 133). These “errors” were caused, he believed, by that which would be the opposite of God. He did not believe that the opposite of God was evil, however. He believed that the opposite of supreme perfection was nothingness, and that all errors he committed came about because he, as man, was caught between the supreme knowledge that belonged to God and a lack of knowledge, saying that he was “exposed to an infinity of deficiencies, so that [he] must not be surprised if [he made] mistakes” (p. 133). From these statements about his own goals, we can infer that he believed that man inherently attempted to seek knowledge (i.e. “do good”), but that he found this difficult because ignorance (the cause of all errors, or “evils”) was as vast as truth (or “God”) and he, as a mortal, was caught between the two.

Descartes, much like Plato, believed that there was an ultimate collection of truths, which he deemed to be God. This idea of “universal truths” implies that Descartes believed knowledge existed without observation by man. In his fourth discourse, he said that it must be “a greater perfection to know than to doubt” (p. 55), and, as he had only been able to doubt all, he imagined that there would have to be some being (God) which knew all truths, or was a collection of all truths. Descartes believed that with the mathematical system he had created to draw truth from his mind, he would be able to attempt to discover the truths which God possessed. Any idea or concept that could last through his rigorous system, he would take as truth and knowledge.

Descartes believed that knowledge was good and that evil was the “deprivation of some knowledge which it seems I ought to possess” (p. 134). This would imply that he believed ethical and moral decisions to be justified through rational thought. This idea, however, is somewhat contradicted by his the first rule of the moral code he created before entering these discourses. In the third discourse, he says that he must “obey the laws and customs of [his] country, firmly preserving the religion into which God was good enough to have [him] instructed from childhood” (p. 45). This would mean that even if he found some law (legal or religious) to be unreasonable, and thus, unethical, he would not do anything to stop and he would not go against it. This could demonstrate that, though he has a logical moral code, he follows the ideals of self-interest – protecting himself from the harm of disobeying the law and his god.

The final, and perhaps most complicated, part of Descartes’ philosophy is his religion. It seems as though Descartes, who doubted everything, would not be so quick to merely believe the Christian ideals which had been handed to him by his society. In fact, one of his rules for discovering truth was “to never accept anything as true that [he] did not know to be evidently so” (p. 41). Though he continually talks about God, he seems to describe God as merely a collection of knowledge. He talks little of the glory and power of God, which others so often describe. This could lead the reader to believe that Descartes was merely reinventing the idea of Plato’s universal truths by incorporating the God which fit better into the moral code he had created for his search for truth.

Descartes was a philosopher whose goal was not to create a moral code for the world to follow, or even to describe the nature of anyone but himself. In his second discourse, he explains: “My plan has never gone beyond trying to reform my own thoughts and to build on a foundation which is wholly my own” (p. 38). Through his studies of his own mind, however, he created new, influential concepts, like duality and the idea that philosophy can be approached mathematically.

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Oct 11, 2009

Bob Nichols rated it

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In a quest for certainty, Descarte questions (doubts) everything and wipes the slate clean by pretending that "everything was false." But then he rebuilds reality through his recognition that if he thought all was false, then thought itself must be real. Hence his well-known observation that, "I think, therefore I am." As to the question of why man, unlike other beings, has rationality, Descarte weaves the science of cause and effect into his argument and concludes that suc...more

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Feb 06, 2011

Erik Graff rated it

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Recommends it for: philosophy students

Recommended to Erik by: a teacher

Shelves: philosophy

I enrolled in Loyola University Chicago's graduate program in philosophy after two years of dead-end jobs upon completion of seminary. The motivation was primarily intellectual. Previous study had served to raise questions more than answer them and some knowledge of the history and thought of the modern West had served to raise questions about their foundations. More specifically, the study of continental depth psychologies had indicated a philosophical as well as an empirical basis for them....more

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Nov 16, 2007

Amy added it · review of another edition

Shelves: previouslyread

"i think, therefore i am." interesting to read, impossible to accept (or rather, I refuse), especially for those of us who have experienced our minds as our own worst enemies. because it dwells on the past and tries to anticipate the future, thinking robs us of BEING in the present; i can only "think" about the past and the future, but I cant BE anywhere other than the present, and being in the present requires no thought at all. I cannot rewind and live in the past (which i...more

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Nov 08, 2007

Thomas rated it

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Shelves: philosophytheory

The Cartesian subject gets a bad wrap these days, but I'm down with "cogito, ergo sum" with a couple of (admittedly pretty major) modifications from psychoanalysis and poststructuralism.

First, when I'm assuring myself of my own ego-existence by thinking, "I am thinking, therefore I am," that's all well and good. But sometimes I might slip and think something like, "I am winking, therefore I am" becuase I'm distracted by the memory of a cute girl that wi...more

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Aug 05, 2010

Marie rated it

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What can I say - it's Descartes.

I do feel I gained a more thorough understanding from reading the whole book than what I had gleaned in my college philosophy course, where we only read the third and fourth meditations. It's amazing to think of the concepts his mind built four hundred years ago. (ish) I mean... there's a part where he talks about machines made to look and sound like men, but how we would be able to tell they weren't men. (Rather a primitive concept of the Turing te...more

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Dec 24, 2009

Abilio rated it

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O Discurso sobre o método, por vezes traduzido como Discurso do método, ou ainda Discurso sobre o método para bem conduzir a razão na busca da verdade dentro da ciência (em francês, Discours de la méthode pour bien conduire sa raison, et chercher la verité dans les sciences) é um tratado matemático e filosófico de René Descartes, publicado na França em Leiden em 1637.

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Dec 20, 2011

Nate rated it

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meh... read it for class... didn't like it then, don't like it now. I resent the philosophers who were dead wrong but who we still have to preserve for dialectical arguments sake. or i guess some people say he was just joking around and really meant the inverse but didnt want to be killed by the church folk.

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May 18, 2009

Justin Tyler rated it

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I'm probably a bad person to rate this book, since I've had to read both the discourse and the meditations MULTIPLE TIMES. It gets old, especially when you're dealing with antiquated (and just plain wrong) philosophy. All-in-all though, there's no denying what Descartes did for modern philosophy. So, way to go!

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Apr 03, 2011

Shannon rated it

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This is another one of those, glad I read it because it informs so much of our science and politics, but it totally pissed me off too!! I wrote so many angry notes in the margins of this one--especially in the animals-are-unthinking-automatons section. Certainly not a dull experience. Ire-raising.

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Mar 23, 2009

Ophelia Beyle rated it

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This is the book that everyone has heard about but no one has read. And it's a pity, too, because Descarte's Discourse on Method has been so misinterpreted it's essence is constantly lost, which is a tragedy when it happens to one of the works that founded modern Western thought.

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Jun 13, 2009

Patrice rated it

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I think this book is the turning point in the development of modern thinking. It was written after Galileo had his problems and I think Descartes was trying to reassure the powers that be that reason and revelation need not contradict each other. Basically, I think it is Plato, reworked, so that God replaces Good or eternal truth. I found in it a fairly modern interpretation of God. I think Descartes was a Deist.

It is also a description of the process of coming to know.

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Apr 06, 2011

Jordan rated it

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Shelves: philosophy

Descartes paved the way for modern skepticism, but his choice of 'what to do' once he got to the fundamental cogito is one of the stupidest things ever done in philosophy... We can't believe ANYTHING.... oh yeah, but god exists, so you can actually believe everything, nvm... o_O

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Mar 07, 2009

blake rated it

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Shelves: philosophy

Since Descartes is one of the most famous modern philosophers, it was interesting to see how blatantly illogical most of his argument is. When I say most, I'm talking about everything that comes after, "I think, therefore I am." Quite accessible though, as far as philosophy goes.

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About René Descartes

René Descartes, also known as Renatus Cartesius (latinized form), was a highly influential French philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and writer. He has been dubbed the "Father of Modern Philosophy," and much of subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which continue to be studied closely. His influence in mathematics is also apparent, the Cartesian coordinate syst...moreRené Descartes, also known as Renatus Cartesius (latinized form), was a highly influential French philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and writer. He has been dubbed the "Father of Modern Philosophy," and much of subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which continue to be studied closely. His influence in mathematics is also apparent, the Cartesian coordinate system that is used in plane geometry and algebra being named for him, and he was one of the key figures in the Scientific Revolution.

Descartes frequently sets his views apart from those of his predecessors. In the opening section of the Passions of the Soul, a treatise on the Early Modern version of what are now commonly called emotions, he goes so far as to assert that he will write on his topic "as if no one had written on these matters before". Many elements of his philosophy have precedents in late Aristotelianism, the revived Stoicism of the 16th century, or in earlier philosophers like St. Augustine. In his natural philosophy, he differs from the Schools on two major points: First, he rejects the analysis of corporeal substance into matter and form; second, he rejects any appeal to ends — divine or natural — in explaining natural phenomena. In his theology, he insists on the absolute freedom of God’s act of creation.

Descartes was a major figure in 17th century continental rationalism, later advocated by Baruch Spinoza and Gottfried Leibniz, and opposed by the empiricist school of thought consisting of Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. Leibniz, Spinoza and Descartes were all versed in mathematics as well as philosophy, and Descartes and Leibniz contributed greatly to science as well. As the inventor of the Cartesian coordinate system, Descartes founded analytic geometry, the bridge between algebra and geometry, crucial to the invention of calculus and analysis. Descartes' reflections on mind and mechanism began the strain of Western thought that much later, impelled by the invention of the electronic computer and by the possibility of machine intelligence, blossomed into the Turing test and related thought. His most famous statement is: Cogito ergo sum (French: Je pense, donc je suis; English: I think, therefore I am), found in §7 of part I of Principles of Philosophy (Latin) and in part IV of Discourse on the Method (French).(less)

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Books by René Descartes

Meditations on First Philosophy: In Which the Existence of God and the Distinction of the Soul from the Body Are Demonstrated

The Philosophical Writings of Descartes: Volume 1

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“For I found myself embarrassed with so many doubts and errors that it seemed to me that the effort to instruct myself had no effect other than th eincreasing discovery of my own ignorance” — 17 people liked it

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