Descartes' Meditations is one of the most thoroughly analyzed of all philosophical texts. Nevertheless, central issues in Descartes' thought remain unresolved, particularly the problem of the Cartesian Circle. Most attempts to deal with that problem have weakened the force of Descartes' own doubts or weakened the goals he was seeking. In this book, Stephen I. Wagner gives Descartes' doubts their strongest force and shows how he overcomes those doubts, establishing with metaphysical certainty the existence of a non-deceiving God and the truth of his clear and distinct perceptions. Wagner's innovative and thorough reading of the text clarifies a wide range of other issues that have been left unclear by previous commentaries, including the nature of the cogito discovery and the relationship between Descartes' proofs of God's existence. His book will be of great interest to scholars and upper-level students of Descartes, early modern philosophy and theology.
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1. A proposal for achieving the strong validation of reason; 2. The experiential method of demonstration; 3. Meditation I - experiencing the causal power of the imagination; 4. Meditation II - experiencing the causal power of the intellect; 5. Meditation III - experiencing the causal power of God; 6. Meditation IV - eliminating error; 7. Meditation V - establishing the structure of science; 8. Conclusion.
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Providing an innovative reading of Descartes' Meditations, this book resolves the classic problem of the Cartesian Circle.

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781107420649
Publisert
2016-09-15
Utgiver
Vendor
Cambridge University Press
Vekt
380 gr
Høyde
228 mm
Bredde
152 mm
Dybde
14 mm
Aldersnivå
P, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
258

Forfatter

Biographical note

Stephen I. Wagner is Professor of Philosophy at Saint John's University and the College of St Benedict, Minnesota. He has published articles on Descartes and early modern philosophy in journals, including History of Philosophy Quarterly.