Meditations Of First Philosophy

Meditations of First Philosophy is a philosophical treatise written by the French philosopher Rene Descartes. The book is divided into six meditations, each of which explores different aspects of Descartes’ epistemology and metaphysics. In the first meditation, Descartes sets out to doubt everything he has ever believed to be true in order to arrive at a foundation of knowledge that cannot be doubted. In the second meditation, he concludes that the only thing he can be certain of is his own existence, as expressed in the famous phrase “”Cogito, ergo sum”” (“”I think, therefore I am””). In subsequent meditations, Descartes builds on this foundation to argue for the existence of God and the immortality of the soul. He also explores the nature of the external world and the relationship between mind and body. The book is widely regarded as a foundational work in modern philosophy and has had a profound influence on subsequent thinkers in a variety of fields.Many other matters respecting the attributes of God and my own nature or mind remain for consideration; but I shall possibly on another occasion resume the investigation of these. Now (after first noting what must be done or avoided, in order to arrive at a knowledge of the truth) my principal task is to endeavour to emerge from the state of doubt into which I have these last days fallen, and to see whether nothing certain can be known regarding material things.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world’s literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.