Book Cover of Meditations on First Philosophy

Meditations on First Philosophy

by René Descartes

Meditations on First Philosophy, in which the existence of God and the immortality of the soul are demonstrated is a philosophical treatise by René Descartes first published in Latin in 1641. The book is made up of six meditations, in which Descartes first discards all belief in things that are not absolutely certain, and then tries to establish what can be known for sure. He wrote the meditations as if he had meditated for six days: each meditation refers to the last one as "yesterday". One of the most influential philosophical texts ever written, it is widely read to this day. The book consists of the presentation of Descartes' metaphysical system at its most detailed level and in the expanding of his philosophical system, first introduced in the fourth part of his Discourse on Method (1637). Descartes' metaphysical thought is also found in the Principles of Philosophy (1644), which the author intended to be a philosophical guidebook.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

Latin

Published In

1641

Authors

René Descartes image

René Descartes was a French-born philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who spent a large portion of his working life in the Dutch Republic, initially serving the Dutch States Army of Mauric...

Books by René Descartes

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Letter of Dedication
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Letter of Dedication
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Preface to the Reader
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Synopsis of the Six Following Meditations
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Meditation I: Of the Things of which We may Doubt
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Meditation II: Of the Nature of the Human Mind; And that it is More Easily Known than the Body
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Meditation III: Of God: That He Exists
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Meditation IV: Of Truth and Error
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Meditation V: Of the Essence of Material Things; And, Again, Of God; That He Exists
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Meditation VI: Of the Existence of Material Things, And of the Real Distinction Between the Mind and Body of Man
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