Rene Descartes’s Cogito Argument Reconsidered

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Candidate of Philosophy, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor of Philosophy Department, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion Department, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Asking from the truth of Cogito as the basis of knowledge, this paper tries to analyze all possible answers in Descartes’ philosophy. Inductively, four possible answers are open to consideration: either Cogito is true 1) based on argumentation, 2) because it is clear and distinct, 3) because of being innate, or, lastly, 4) because of intuition. All of these explanations either entail accepting some prior knowledge to Cogito or fall in a vicious circle. A proper way to explain Cogito’s truth is a new perspective to the meaning of intuition in Descartes’ philosophy. Through this perspective Cogito is a presential experience. Lack of any gap, separation, and disjunction in this presential experience is the reason for the truth of Cogito because this lack is the lack of error’s cause.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Philosophical Investigations
Volume 16, Issue 41 - Serial Number 41
English Special Issue: Philosophy of Education
2023
Pages 148-163

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