Descartes Two

Summary

In this video, we delve into Descartes' Second Meditation, where he questions everything, including the existence of his own body. Through doubt, Descartes discovers the first fundamental building block of reality: the thinking mind, encapsulated in his famous phrase 'I think, therefore I am.' He then explores the nature of the soul and distinguishes it from bodily functions, aligning it with thought. Descartes further establishes 'extension in space' as the second building block, which is perceived by the mind and is the basis for scientific knowledge. The video concludes by highlighting how Descartes' meditations aim to provide a solid foundation for science and knowledge.

Takeaways

• 🧠 The second meditation by Descartes focuses on doubting everything, including the existence of the body and the reliability of senses and imagination.
• 🤔 Descartes introduces the famous phrase 'I think, therefore I am' (Cogito, ergo sum), establishing thought as the first fundamental building block of reality and proof of one's own existence.
• 🧐 He questions the traditional definition of humans as 'rational animals' and moves the concept of the soul closer to the idea of thinking, suggesting they might be one and the same.
• 🔍 Descartes uses the example of a piece of wax to illustrate that the true nature of physical objects is not their sensory qualities but their extension in space.
• 🚫 He dismisses the reliability of senses and imagination in understanding the true nature of things, as they can be deceptive.
• 🧩 The second fundamental building block of reality, according to Descartes, is extension in space, which is the essence of all physical objects and the object of scientific knowledge.
• 🧘‍♂️ Descartes associates the soul with the mind and thinking, suggesting that the soul's function is to judge and understand extension, thus connecting it with scientific knowledge.
• 🔄 The wax example shows that while the wax's sensory properties change, its extension remains, indicating that extension is a constant and reliable aspect of physical reality.
• 📚 Descartes' aim is to provide a foundation for scientific knowledge that is compatible with the Catholic Church's teachings, suggesting that the soul's ability to understand extension is a gift from God.
• 🔮 The second meditation concludes with the establishment of the mind (thinking) and extension as the two fundamental building blocks of reality, with the mind being the source of scientific understanding.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Descartes' Second Meditation?

The main focus of Descartes' Second Meditation is to establish the two fundamental building blocks of reality: thought or mind, and extension in space. He seeks to prove the existence of the self as a thinking thing and the existence of external objects as extended in space.

How does Descartes begin the Second Meditation?

Descartes begins the Second Meditation by continuing to doubt everything, including his own body and the physical world, as established at the end of the First Meditation.

What is Descartes' famous phrase that he introduces in the Second Meditation?

Descartes introduces the famous phrase 'I think, therefore I am' (Cogito, ergo sum) in the Second Meditation, which is a variation of 'I am, I exist' that he uses to prove his own existence as a thinking thing.

What does Descartes argue about the nature of the soul in relation to thought?

Descartes argues that the soul is closely related to thought, suggesting that the soul and thinking might be the same thing. He moves the concept of the soul away from traditional understandings of animation and bodily functions, focusing on thought as the defining characteristic.

How does Descartes use the example of wax to demonstrate the concept of extension?

Descartes uses the example of wax to show that the true nature of the wax is its extension in space, which is not dependent on the senses or imagination but is discerned by judgment. He argues that even when the wax's sensory properties change, its extension remains constant.

What does Descartes consider the object of scientific knowledge?

Descartes considers extension in space, which is the fundamental property of material objects, as the object of scientific knowledge. He believes that scientific knowledge is rooted in the functioning of the soul, which judges extension to be true.

How does Descartes differentiate between judgment and the senses or imagination?

Descartes differentiates judgment from the senses and imagination by stating that judgment is a faculty of the mind or soul that discerns truth beyond what can be perceived by the senses or imagined. It is the ability to understand and judge the nature of extension in objects like wax.

What is the significance of Descartes' discussion on the 'rational animal' in the Second Meditation?

The discussion on the 'rational animal' is significant because it shows Descartes' awareness of classical definitions of humans and his intention to redefine the concept. He uses it to transition from the traditional understanding of the soul as animating the body to the soul as a thinking entity.

How does Descartes address the unreliability of sense perception and imagination in the Second Meditation?

Descartes addresses the unreliability of sense perception and imagination by showing that they can be deceptive and cannot provide certain knowledge of the external world. He uses the example of wax to demonstrate that the true nature of objects is not found through sensory experience or imagination but through the mind's judgment of extension.

What role does doubt play in Descartes' Second Meditation?

Doubt plays a crucial role in Descartes' Second Meditation as it is the method he uses to question all previous knowledge and beliefs. Through doubt, he seeks to find a firm foundation for knowledge, which he eventually finds in the certainty of his own existence as a thinking thing.

How does Descartes' Second Meditation contribute to his broader philosophical project?

Descartes' Second Meditation contributes to his broader philosophical project by establishing a secure foundation for knowledge and science. By proving the existence of the thinking self and the external world as extended in space, he paves the way for a new approach to understanding reality that is grounded in the certainty of the mind's judgments.

Outlines

00:00

🧘‍♂️ Introduction to Descartes' Second Meditation

This paragraph introduces the second meditation by Descartes, emphasizing the skeptical approach taken in the first meditation where everything, including God, arithmetic, and geometry, is doubted. Descartes starts the second meditation by acknowledging the doubt but then seeks to establish certainty. He introduces the famous phrase 'I think, therefore I am' (Cogito, ergo sum), which serves as the first fundamental building block of reality. Descartes argues that doubt itself is a form of thinking, and therefore, the existence of a thinking entity is certain. The paragraph also hints at the distinction between the mind and the body, suggesting that the mind (or thought) might be the essence of the self, separate from the physical body.

05:02

🤔 The Concept of 'Rational Animal' and the Soul

In this paragraph, the discussion shifts to the concept of 'rational animal' (zoon logon echon), a term attributed to Aristotle, which refers to humans as living beings endowed with reason and language. Descartes reflects on this definition, acknowledging the complexity of defining 'animal,' 'reason,' or 'rationality.' He then transitions to the idea of the soul, questioning what he previously thought it was. Descartes differentiates the soul from the physical body and its functions, such as nourishment and sensory perception, which are all subject to doubt. He suggests that the soul might be more closely aligned with thought, moving towards the idea that the soul and thought might be one and the same.

10:03

🕯️ The Wax Argument and the Nature of Extension

Descartes uses the example of a piece of wax to illustrate his point about the nature of material reality. He notes that the sensory perceptions of the wax, such as its smell, taste, and appearance, are not reliable indicators of its true nature because they can change and are subject to doubt. Descartes argues that what remains constant and certain about the wax is its extension in space. Even when the wax melts or changes form, its extendedness in space persists. This leads to the conclusion that extension, or the property of occupying space, is the fundamental characteristic of all material things and is the second building block of reality. The paragraph also touches on the idea that judgment, which is a faculty of the mind, is what allows us to understand extension beyond what our senses and imagination can perceive.

15:05

🌟 The Mind, Extension, and the Foundation of Scientific Knowledge

The final paragraph summarizes the key points of Descartes' second meditation. It reiterates that the mind, or thought, is the first fundamental building block of reality, and extension in space is the second. Descartes suggests that scientific knowledge, which is primarily concerned with understanding extension and material bodies, is rooted in the soul's ability to judge and comprehend extension. The paragraph also hints at the role of God in creating the soul and, by extension, humankind's capacity for scientific knowledge. The meditation concludes by establishing the mind and extension as the foundational elements for understanding reality and the pursuit of scientific knowledge.

Keywords

💡Meditation

In the context of the video, 'Meditation' refers to a series of philosophical works by René Descartes, specifically 'Meditations on First Philosophy', where he explores the foundations of knowledge and reality. The video discusses the second meditation, which focuses on doubting everything to find a solid foundation for knowledge. The term is used to illustrate Descartes' method of systematic doubt and his quest for certainty in the face of skepticism.

💡Descartes

René Descartes is a French philosopher and mathematician, often referred to as the 'Father of Modern Philosophy'. In the video, Descartes is the central figure whose work is being analyzed. His ideas on doubt, the existence of the self, and the nature of reality are discussed, particularly his famous proposition 'Cogito, ergo sum' (I think, therefore I am), which is a cornerstone of his philosophy.

💡Doubt

Doubt is a central theme in Descartes' second meditation. It refers to the method of questioning everything in order to find an indubitable truth. The video explains how Descartes uses doubt to challenge the reliability of sense perception and imagination, leading to the conclusion that the only thing that cannot be doubted is the act of doubting itself, which implies the existence of the thinker.

💡Cogito, ergo sum

This Latin phrase, translated as 'I think, therefore I am', is Descartes' most famous philosophical proposition. It is introduced in the video as the first fundamental building block of reality. The phrase encapsulates Descartes' argument that the very act of doubting is proof of one's own existence, as there must be a thinker for thought to occur.

💡Mind

The 'mind' is a key concept in the video, representing the thinking entity that is the subject of Descartes' meditations. It is discussed as the first fundamental building block of reality, separate from the body and the senses. The video explains how Descartes concludes that the mind's existence is the only certainty amidst universal doubt.

💡Soul

In the video, the 'soul' is considered in relation to the mind and is discussed as a possible synonym for the thinking entity. Descartes' exploration of the soul is tied to his broader metaphysical inquiry into the nature of existence. The video suggests that for Descartes, the soul might be closely linked to thought, challenging traditional views of the soul as the animating principle of the body.

💡Extension

Extension is introduced in the video as the second fundamental building block of reality in Descartes' philosophy, representing physical existence in space. The video explains how Descartes argues that all physical things, beyond being thought about, are essentially extended in space, which is a quality that exceeds both sense perception and imagination.

💡Wax Argument

The 'wax argument' is a pivotal part of Descartes' second meditation, used to illustrate the distinction between sensory perception and the true nature of physical objects. In the video, Descartes uses the example of a piece of wax to show that while sensory attributes like taste, smell, and shape can change, the wax's essence as an extended substance remains constant.

💡Judgment

Judgment is discussed in the video as a faculty of the mind that is distinct from sense perception and imagination. It is the ability to discern truth beyond what is immediately perceived or imagined. The video explains how Descartes associates judgment with the mind's capacity to understand the true nature of extension, which is essential for scientific knowledge.

💡Scientific Knowledge

Scientific knowledge is a theme in the video that relates to Descartes' aim to establish a foundation for certain knowledge in the sciences. The video describes how Descartes links the mind's ability to judge and understand extension to the production of scientific knowledge, suggesting that the mind's processes are the basis for understanding the physical world.

Highlights

Descartes begins the second meditation with everything in doubt, including God and arithmetic.

The goal of the second meditation is to identify the fundamental building blocks of reality.

Descartes argues that doubting is a form of thinking, leading to the conclusion 'I think, therefore I am'.

The first building block of reality is the existence of thought or mind.

Descartes questions the traditional definition of humans as 'rational animals', distancing the concept of the soul from physical attributes.

The soul is associated with thought, suggesting they might be one and the same.

Descartes uses the example of a piece of wax to demonstrate the unreliability of sense perception and imagination.

The concept of 'extension' is introduced as a quality that exceeds both sense perception and imagination.

Descartes asserts that all bodies are pure extension in space, forming the second building block of reality.

The mind's ability to judge the extension of the wax is attributed to the soul's capacity for scientific knowledge.

Descartes aims to ground scientific knowledge in the soul's processes, aligning with the Catholic Church's acceptance.

The wax example illustrates that scientific knowledge is rooted in the mind's judgment rather than sensory experience.

Descartes concludes that the mind's judgment is the faculty that discerns the truth of extension.

The meditation establishes a foundation for scientific knowledge based on the mind's ability to understand extension.

Descartes' wax example shows that the nature of the wax is understood through the mind, not the senses.

The second meditation ends with the identification of thought and extension as the two fundamental building blocks of reality.

Transcripts

hello

um I hope that you're all well now we're

going to do a little guide through the

second meditation

um Descartes second meditation if you

remember from the last

video and from your last reading so

where we end at the end of the first

meditation is everything in doubt right

everything is in doubt

um

even God and arithmetic and geometry

perhaps though Descartes seems to give

them an odd treatment there

um

but everything is in doubt Descartes has

no body no nothing like that so and this

is where he starts in second meditation

he's

struggling with it

um but remember I said probably that in

the second meditation Descartes is going

to give us the two fundamental building

blocks of reality so this is again it's

metaphysics so

um what is there what what is there in

the world

um in the last uh last meditation

everything that we knew was

demolished taken down by an attack on

sense perception and Imagination which

is the building of composite things

these were both shown to be deceptive

and thereby anything which is rooted in

them can be drawn into doubt and now

Descartes is still doubting here but he

immediately uh page 17 of the PDF into

uh into the page 18 moves to prove

something

and what he does here he gives us

a different version of the phrase that

he's most famous for sorry I have the

texting from me I just want to make sure

that I have the page numbers right so

you can follow along where I'm at

um he says what truth is left

perhaps this alone that nothing is

certain and his argumentation here runs

that

um

everything is doubtful everything has

been drawn into doubt I could be certain

of nothing even the fact that I have a

body and that I'm here in this physical

space in the living room as it were

um but oh and I'm being deceived

potentially but if I'm doubting

some process is happening

and if I'm being deceived there must be

something to be deceived right there

must be something there which is the

object of deception

um and so doubting is a form of thinking

so therefore I exist Descartes says he

said did I therefore not convince myself

that I did not exist either this is page

18. no certainly I did exist if I

convinced myself of something

Beyond doubt then I also exist I am I

exist whenever it is uttered by me or

conceived in the mind is necessarily

true

and this I am I exist is a variation on

the the phrase that Descartes is most

famous for

um which is uh I think therefore I am or

perhaps most famous word I think

therefore I am kagito Ergo soon

so I think therefore I am uh and and

here we have the first building block of

reality for Descartes um if I'm doubting

all this time there must be something

um which is going on this process is

thought I am a thinking thing so the the

First Fundamental building block of

reality that Descartes has proven to

himself is a thought or mind depending

on how you want to look at it thinking

or mind right

um and then he immediately moves at the

bottom of page 18 into uh

the question of well beforehand what did

I think that I was now I know at the

very least I am thought I'm thinking I

am a thinking mind

um remember this is still not

necessarily connected to the brain

although I will tell you that if you

want to search for yourself Descartes

thought that thought and the Soul

um existed in the pineal gland so that's

another story

um

in any case uh I think therefore I am

I'm a thinking thing what did I think

that I was before

um and he first appeals to this phrase

rational animal and I don't want to get

too in depth with this but I I did

probably mention when I was talking

about the dialectic that this word logos

in Greek means reason or can mean reason

can mean speech or language can mean

logic can mean ratio a lot of

intermingling Concepts come from it

right

and Descartes would be very aware that

when he says I'm not a rational animal

he's referring to a famous phrase or a

phrase well known and attributed to

Aristotle the definition of the human as

uh

foreign which zun is an animate thing

um logon here logos reason language uh

logic right

coming from the verb in Greek to have so

this this phrase rational animal that we

have in English and that he would have

had in Latin and he would have been

trained in classical brief of course and

known very much what he was alluding to

when he raised this phrase It's not by

chance

um

really means the uh animate thing the

thing which is animated alive sort of

moving

um that has language that has reason

that has logic right the animal that has

the animate thing that has the logos

and Descartes says well it's a pain to

have to ask what is an animal what is

reason or what is rationality right he

doesn't want to get into that it's

enough to just think that I'm thinking

but I want to let you know that he would

have known what

at least with the etymological right

meaning of this phrase was where it came

from an Aristotle and what these words

in Greek would have intended

um and that's important because he

immediately then moves to this

discussion of the Soul right he says uh

I thought that I had limbs this is the

top of 19 face hands arms whole

mechanism of Limbs that I referred to my

body even corpses have these things

right

um and I'm not this and then he goes on

to say uh next that I took nourishment

moved perceived with my senses and

thought these actions I attributed to

the soul okay so suddenly similar to God

in the last meditation we have the soul

um and one of the reasons that I

mentioned the Greek

initial meaning of rational animal as

soon log on

is because uh oftentimes and you might

have come across this

um

people believed that the soul

is what animates our body right

um the Breath of Life this sort of the

soul is what breeds life into uh inner

or not

um

immobile matter right matter that's just

sort of

um not alive not moving the soul is life

um and here and and really from page 19

up until he mentions the wax

um a lot of what he's doing is and this

is implicit it's not super direct he's

bringing the soul away from these

previous understandings of Animation

being animate having a body needing

nourishment right all these things are

still in doubt I don't need to eat

necessarily because I don't have a body

at least none of this is certain for

Descartes the only thing that's certain

is that I think

um and he's moving this the soul and the

the function of the Soul uh into

proximity with this I think therefore I

am the soul and thinking

close to the same that's that's what

he's doing here over the course of the

next few pages so

um and then he goes on to uh bottom of

I'm gonna skip 20 and 21 because I think

I just said what's most important

between 19 and 21 is the soul thinking

coming close right maybe being the same

thing

um then he moves on to 20 bottom of 21

he wants to prove the existence of

something other than thought right

something other than mine something

other than thinking

um

and he refers to a piece of wax that he

has with him

um

and in the first paragraph top page 22

he talks about oh it's smelling and

tasting like honey or flowers because

it's beeswax

it makes noises because it's solid you

can knock on it you could feel it uh

blah blah blah see the size and shape

and so on and so forth and all of these

things

are things which are known by the senses

right so none of these things prove that

the exact the wax exists we're back to

sense perception not being trustable

so then in the next paragraph he says

well all these things aside all these

characteristics all these attributes

that

um I seem to know about the wax but they

can't be proven because they come from

sense perception what remains and he

says flexibility

mutability and being extended right

um and flexibility is similar mutability

if you don't know means the ability to

be shaped

um

but he goes on to say the flexibility

and mutability don't apply here because

I can imagine all the different ways in

which I could shape something right I

already have that so if I could imagine

how how the wax could be shaped

um

then this is a product of the

imagination it's composite thinking also

not reliable because of what was said in

meditation one right imagination is

deceptive senses are deceptive and

we uh so we get here in these two

paragraphs the application of the two uh

faculties that we've thrown out to the

wax senses no imagination no and then we

have extendedness how does this remain

well Descartes says what happens when

you put the uh wax over the fire right

um

turns into a liquid and then it turns

gashes right and it extends in the

air

and so his argument here it's uh I'll

read it here at the bottom of 22.

surely I know something about the nature

of its extension for it is greater when

the wax is melting greater still when it

is boiling and greater still when the

heat is further increased

and I would not be correctly judging the

wax

if I failed to see that it is capable of

receiving more varieties as regards

extension than I have ever grasped in my

imagination

um

so what's he saying here he's saying

that while he knows that it will

continue to extend in in a variety of

ways

in space

he can't imagine these ways so it the

extension and the possibilities of

extension in the wax which are known to

him

exceed his imagination and they're also

not perceived by the senses presuming

that at some point in time the gaseous

form of the wax will lose its smell and

lose its visibility right so

extendedness is is a quality of

something which exceeds both sense

perception and the imagination

and so Descartes here says that what we

have

other than thought other than thinking

is pure extension in space

all bodies all things which are not

thought are pure extension in space and

so now we have the two fundamental

building blocks of reality for Descartes

thinking mind thought

extension in space

bodies right

um

and I'm going to read a little bit here

from page 23 in the middle

he says but in the meantime I am amazed

by the proneness of my mind to error for

although I'm considering all this in

myself silently and without speech yet I

am still ensnared by words themselves

and all but deceived by the very ways in

which we usually put things

for when we see for when we say that we

see the wax itself if it is present not

that we judge it

[Music]

um

from this I would have immediately

concluded that I therefore knew the wax

by sight of the eyes not by inspection

of the Mind alone

if I had not happened to glance out of

the window I have people walking along

the street so um

by luck as he's having this thought

he has a window in his living room and

he looks at it but what do I actually

see I say that I see them just as I see

the wax but what do I actually see I

just see hats and coats and these could

be

um hats and coats covering automata

right but I judge that they are people

and therefore what I thought I saw with

my eyes I in fact grasp only with the

ability so he he Associates now this

faculty of judging

um with thought

it's not something that we we perceive

with the senses and it's not something

we do

um via the faculty of imagination

judging is the faculty that belongs to

thought and so

extendedness

in not being able to be perceived by the

senses and exceeding the imagination in

its possibility is discerned by judgment

um

and let me show you really quick a

little drawing that I do for the

students where is it here it is it's

really bad on here sorry Microsoft Paint

style

um but hopefully you get this right he's

seeing extension

with the Mind's Eye he's judging it to

be true

um and so this is now something

different than the two faculties which

were gotten rid of

um and what he's done here so extension

let me get rid of this

that's a night you know he's got a

little night cap on and so on a little

mustache

um

extension as being the basic unit of

material physical reality right all

bodies are simply extension of space

extension is then the object of

scientific knowledge for the most part

um and by saying that it's the mind

which has been brought in proximity to

the soul that judges extension to be

true

and if extension is the object of

scientific knowledge then the production

of knowledge scientific knowledge which

knowledge about extension about bodies

and space is attributable now to the

soul so the steps of this meditation are

prove the first building block

thinking mind

bring thought or mind in proximity to

the soul

so that we're led to believe that the

soul and thought are one in the same

thing more or less

now show that the soul or thinking or

thought is what

has access to the truth

of what is other than it

namely extension in space

if this is the case

then scientific knowledge is rooted in

the functioning the activity the

processes of the Soul

now we might not say that God remember

his aim here is to found the science we

found mathematics and Sciences in a way

that will be accepted by the Catholic

church right

so it might not say that God is the one

who produces scientific knowledge

but God produces the soul

so he produces

humankind's capability to produce

scientific knowledge

so that's the uh

that's the second meditation that's how

it goes

um Descartes has now proven or has now

given us the two fundamental building

blocks of reality

the mind and extension which is

perceived by the mind or the soul and

he's rooted knowledge of extension which

is scientific knowledge in the processes

of the Soul which are thought

so that's

that's it