The Philosophical Writings of DESCARTES translated by JOHN COTTINGHAM ROBERT STOOTHOFF DUGALD MURDOCH BS |CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY in which are demonstrated the existence of God and the distinction between the human soul and the body FIRST MEDITATION What can be called into doube ‘Some years go Iwas stuck by the age number falco that had ‘cept as tae in sy childhood and by the bighly dba mature of the whole eifcethat had sbaequeny based on them I ele was necesiry, once inthe course of my he, to Soma everything completely and wart again righ rom we foundations | waned ‘stablsh anyhing a all inthe scene hat ws salen key ols ‘Bet the tk looked an enormous oe, and began o wait ual shold reach 2 marore ough age to earae that no aubacqunt tne of Me ‘woukd be more saab for tackling sch ngs Thisled me to pute oj of for so ong that | wold now bee lame by porting over {Cany fhe I wased the tine sl ll for cayng oa Stay have expres rd my mid ofall worries and aranged for mee cet stechottreetie amber gute sone anda lst wlldcvote my seis (rly an without servation tthe general demain of my opinions ‘But eo accomplish hit wl ot be aceacy for me to oow thal ‘ny opinions are alse, which something cold perhaps never manage Reason now lads met thik tha shal hold back my amen fom pions which ae not compleely cemain and indobable st ‘etl 35 do fom those which ae patent fale, So forthe purpose ‘af ejecting all my options, willbe enough nd in each hee a least some eam fr daub And tod hi wll at ned tram hough them all individual which would be an endl take Once the foundacons of a balding are undermined, antigua om them collapses of i own accord: 30 wil go sagt forthe Bask pines ‘on which al my former belt tered ‘Whatever Ihave up til now acxped at most rue Ihave acguied ithe rm the secs or though the src: Ba fom inet tine have found tha the senses Scie, and span neve fs ompeely ‘hose who have deceived even once “Yer ahough the senses occasionally deceive ut with ripest to objec which are ver small ori the distance, there ate many oer hh bout First Meditation 5 hich dou is quite imposible, even hough they are derived rom he Semes for example that anise, stingy the re, wenting 3 wer “resp gown, holding this pec of paper in my hand, and 50 00 ‘Agu hw cold be del sh the ods ot ol by se ‘nine Unies peaps were olen aslo madmen, whose raise So damaged bythe penne vapour of relancholithat thy fly ‘Buna tey 1 ings when ep ae papery or sy they arsed apie hen they atenaked oc that thi heads are mae ofeatbenwate, Ete ae panpling ome ofp Bor och pre arses Sn would be thouph equally mad tok anything om then 382 ‘olor my ‘hilar pee of reasoning! Asi were ot aman who sep a sigh, aod reply a all the sane experiences’ wile ae at sikbes'do'shen cra ~lndedsomcins ren ove iota nes. How often, alep a night, a convinced of at sch fa rena am even my desing gown, ting by the re when in EG Tam ping omdreed nbd! Yer he moment my ees at craly ie wae en ok a hi plc of pope fale end and osc ay Tech out and el my hand 090 deter and iow wt a ding. Al hs woud tr hapen wise tacts ‘2 someone ase. inked! Art dd not remember ther scans shea ave ben ced by exact slr coughs wile sept As {hink about ths more cazflly ae plainly dha there se never ay ste Sigs by means of whch being awake can be dined fom beng ‘Sleep. Therese tha begat fe daned, od hs very fing oly ‘Safle motion ts ey be sep. ‘Suppose then that am rung, td tat he parle shat ny cer te open that Lam moving my bead and sreching sty ane Senor ue. Ptbap nde do nx even have uh ands sch 3 ody a al None, mus sandy be sdnined thatthe yisont hich come in sepa ke paningy, which mus hee ben fashioned Inches of tng that are eal andhenee hata eas thse ental Kinds of hings eye bead, hans snd the buy a3 whole~ar tgs which ace nt imapnary ut ate Fe and ex Fr even hen piers {ryt centers and sys withthe mat exsoriary bode ey Cannot pve them nets which ae new tal rape they inp fae up the limbs of dierent snmale Ori prhape they mange think up something s0 ew tat nothing remo sitar sever een Seen bere = somthing whch therefore completly fio and wea lathe slur nd inthe componton wt be el. By la sessing, alihough thee general Kinds of things ~ 7s bead, Vader dnt mot weet ope en ing4 Meditations om it Philosphy anand oon cold Be imaginary mt tt adit that ‘San re el td al ga Thx Sere he ea colours rom whch me form al mage ig Sitew shin dutem montage "Tee dhs sppeatto co Crporel are poral, od ‘xenon: th shape of extended nthe quant. or send uber hte ngs th place mich hey may thee hroogh which they muy ez td So nrestnaic onlin rom hismight be hat physic astonamy, imac, ‘and al ober diepinn wht depend othe sa ‘Sport tings, ae double whet, geome and hr Sse fh kind ch del nly with he mpl 2 mot pnt things eges of wheter hy ey ex nate tnt oman ‘Seeing crip ad ndabable or hte am suse oe espy fo and ts add opie ve and square bas a one {ours rsema pombe tht och espe ut hoa nc ‘Sy pion of ng abe. "hn yer iy roted in my mind ithe lng tang opinion that stein omits God who made ee io tte am How dot know that eas not og abou dah hearth no shy oo extended thing. no Shape, mo Se, mo pace, while he aime time ering thal tee hing ppt ome ocx jst 2th do Soon Wars moc, sce | srncnes ert er geste ‘Sts where hey tk hy have te os pest Know ay | Sty po wenger cI ant the orca of ‘ua, of in some sven smplee mater, that impale Bat fits God wold nt hve lowed bed wny ce Keraultebe sprely god Buri wee monte wth he ‘shes a bave cet ach tat Ian dace al the ey ‘ool seem equal foe his goodness 0 alow me tobe dca ‘en ocean Jett nt nation sme be made ‘shape they eam who would pcre deny the evince of so pow a God thr tan beeve ht eching a enero ter ne spe with hem, but pan them tet vy sad about oa i's tn. Recording thr suposton, then I have eed my presen ste by feo chance oF conua ano rey 1B ter ney den sn. nat imperfect he es power hey ake my oa ase the more hh sahara tpt tbe eed be sme haemo loot odes agent, ba aly compa om hat tee ‘Seorone of mytxmer bit bot whch a oak may nor rope Be ‘opteateaansumchargentnt te Fiat Mediation 5 raised and this not a ippan or ill oasidered concsion, but isbasd ‘on powerfl apd well thought out esons. Soin fre | mis tho ty ent fom these former bets js as caeuly 21 would fom ‘Duis laehoody [wan to dicover any exit. Buti tnt enough meet have ote ths st make an eft to remember, hy habia opinions Lep coming back, ama despite my ‘beste canoe my tele which sas # were bound ove other as ‘Troulvoflongaupation and th aw of castom shall never ge out of ‘he abt of confide seen ots opinions, so longa spose them to be what fac they ae, namely Bighiy probable opinions = ‘pimions which, despite the fact ha they are ene doobl a as {brbcen shown isl ach move etonsbleobeeve than ny Inview of thot hnk ic will e a good pln to armmy wl 0 com ley the oppose den and deceive sell, by pretending for 2 inthe thes tres optons ae uel fae ad magia. ball do ‘hum the weight of preconeived opinion counter balanced and the {Tsorng nflcoce of bir no longer prevents ty. jodgement fr Devaving thing corres. Inthe meant, ow tat no danger oF ror mest ony plan, andtat eannot possibly oto fay ‘unl stad. Thr becase the sk now hand doesnot ino Son but merely the austin of knowledge. Twill spose thecore hat not Cod whos supremely good andthe source of th but ater tome malicious demon of the MMOS ower in cunning as enplope al is encrpes ia orto deceive me. shal ‘hin tha he shy, the ait the eat clous, shapes, sounds and all ‘nena things a¢ merely the delasos of deans which he has devised {o emure my iuement | bl opaidr mye aaa baving hands oF {yn or feb or Blood or senses, bat alelybebving that | havea {Hes thing: i shall sabboeniy and Semly pret mediation nd, ‘en fie nein my power toknow any th sala less do whats Imp power’ that rescue guard gsine antigo ay false Todo thatthe deceer hometer powerful and cunning be may bes ‘il be unable o ngone on me in he sghest dee, But ths an Urduous undertaking and kindof Insnes ings me back. nora Ife Tam ike» peter who fs ening an imaginary freedom while Isley athe begs oaupes that hes sep, he dens being woken pc ad gor long withthe plsran lon slog a he can the Sn waye | happily de bck oto my old opinions and dread cig {hake ot of them, for fat that my pace slecp maybe flowed by bard abou when vate, and hat sal have toil potin he pt But i he incrreable dans of the problems Ihave now rae 1 nee ae iF vei LO ASSSSETAMG LO Spey tema te ve. 8s SECOND MEDITATION ‘The nature of the human mind, and how itis better known ‘than the body ‘So seis ae the doubt ino which Ihave been thrown sce of ‘etrdoy’ mediation tht | can weer pt them ov fey nd nor ‘ec any way of esving tem fee ae Tha fallen expectedly io 2 ep whitipool whch rambles me around that Lean neers on {heboeom aor swim up tothe tp. Neverthe wll make efor and once more stempt the ame pth which {ated on yenterday. Anyi Sthich admis ofthe slightest ube wil ser aide js asi had ound 16 be wholly Elie; and Ill proceed neh way ans {recone ‘meting certain of oti de, tl Lat east ecogaize for ean that here eno cerainy. Archimedes ed to demand jut one rand immovable pout order to shit sheen ent 5011 can hoe lot fest shngy if Lmanage to Sod jt one thing however sgh, fat eran and unshakeabe Tal suppose thes ha everything Ici sparious. wil lee that my memany rls mel, snd that nae ofthe things tat eopors eet Happened. hae no ese Body, shape extesion movement ond pace sre chimeras So what rmaint ec? Pshap je the one ac that oti seri, ‘Yet apart fom everything {have js lied how do know sha here ‘snot something ce which aes nolo event alight ceaon for doubt there nota God, or whatever Tmay lim, who potato me! te thoughts Iam now ving? Bat why do | cin ti since I mpl ‘nay perhaps be the author ofthese thoughts? that eave am tbat [eae something? But {have j eid hat have sec 0 0 ody. ‘This he sching pins what allows or th? Am ot 0 bound up swith body and with senses that anno xi washout them? BT have Coninced myself tha there absolutly aothing inthe word ask, m0 ‘rth no minds, no Bodies. Does eno flo tha I 0 0 mex? Second Mediation 0 ‘Noif convinced myself of someting! then Lentil exited Bu there ina decher of sopeme power and cunning wha i debertey and aonstaly deceiving me In that case too undoubtedly ext fhe ‘ceiving me; and let him dcrve meat mach a he este il ever ‘angi about chat am nothings long ae think tat lam something So iter conden everything very thoroughly, mar Bally conchae that hs peoprtion, Im fers in teceaily tue whenever iis Pat Torward by meorconsved in ny mind But do not yet have suficen understanding of what hi‘ cha ‘now necessary exists So must be on my guard against aes aking fomething cet be thir‘, and so making a mistaken the ery em of owledge that I matain i the os cera ad evident of al 1 wll ‘hertoreg back and meditate on what orgy belived mytlftbe, before embarked on this presen ain of thought I wl hen sure ‘nything capable of Being weakened, even minimal, y he argsmens | tow introduced so thet hat ef at he end may be exci sd aly ‘tha certain and unshakesbl "What then di formerly think twas? Aman, Bat what ta in? Shall {say's sonal animal’ No; foe den Fsboul have wo ingle what an imal what ational andi way one queation woul ad me Adown th slope to other hater oes, and 60 not now have the time svame on sable of his Kind. nse I propose to concentrate cn what ame iso my thovghts spontaneously and ute naturally whenever 1 Sted consider what | wae. Well the Fat thought to come o mind wat that had a face, hands, ams and the whole mechanical store of limbs wich can be cen na compet, and which alld te boy. The ‘ext bought was tha I wa nour, that | moved bout, and ht | fngaed in sense perepion and thinking and these actions atbuted tothe soul But aso theatre a this Sou iter did noe hk about thisor ele imagined itt be something teu like a wind Bre oF ter, which permeated ny more oid part, Ase the body, homeve, dno dobes abou tb though I Knew its atte isin had ted 0 desribe she mena eoncepson [had of I would have fxpresed tas follows: by body I understand whateer bas 3 ‘Scerminable shape and 3 definable lacation and can occpy 4 spa. Sch away ato exclude any ober body, ican be preted by touch, ‘igh bescing tate or sel and canbe moved in various wae ot BY iets by whatever ce comes tno contact with For, scoring 1 ‘iy judgement, the power of sellmovement, He the power of sepaton Gr oftought was gute loeiga tothe atu of body indeed was 1 sor oe amg ea ac en8 Meditations on Frat Piosophy ., Sonia eh lw hat am when Lam posing st er ie peed be peers Sicteiou Lita ayagtoedhnemecy vy rental ST pc a tbe ote ore er eee ey eg ieee emer med te ro ec oe rea yt oe ite el heat Meets etn Se a SS clr hry dees a ae pee aeiamern ern Sep pe eciedter eager atrrees Ie Siael ug seein oy Sha crf ang Fr ng srhie For Final ha ws hanya ae ly Se eee gemma eee er epee ory Seve? sc res ee Ea altoay com rian! le SOMES Signe Tc cy npn! a a ceo rrr ‘etc ge Sg eae oe or ‘hte hc ae anata Po Kell tro ee hey ‘ag SR es SRA COR eS eal ea thee Sr np et 1 eect al Pa pe deeeen ree ened SOUP AML at ems atte el eee eee ee ee ae a eee ces one Something oe Second Meditation 9 depend things of whose existence Iam a yet unaware; so i¢cannot 28 depend om any ofthe tgs which Livent a ny imaintion. And hs ‘ery wotd invent shows me my mistake woul inded be a ase of ertios invention if wed my imagination 20 ctablsh tht I ws something or ober; for imagining i spl contemplating te shape ot image of corporeal thing. Yer nw now fr cern both hat ext Sodiae the same time that ll uch images and in gene everything ‘ating tothe naar of body, sould bemere dream Cond chimera. ‘Once this psn bas beam grasped oy wil se my imagination to et tokow mre disney what am’ would seem be as sly assaying Sm now swake, and see some ath bat ice my won tot yet deat ‘rough, wil deliberately fl aleps0 that my dreams may provide a ‘euerand clearer representation’ Its rele tht none ofthe things that the imapanation enabler me to gesp s a ll eran teh knowledge of mseif which poses, ad that te mind mast therefore ‘be most eaveflly diverted rom sich hing! fi ro pteie is o¥m sstrea dstinaly 2 possible ht what chen am TPA hing tha thinks. What chat? ting that oubt,anderande, aff, dene, willng, i wnwling, and a0 imagines and ha sensory perception. "Thin is considerabe ls everthing o it belongsto me, Bur dost ts enor one and the same who snow doubting simon eveything, ‘tho nonetes understands some tings, who aes tha this one thing se, dene everthing ee desires to kow more, unig be deceived imagines many things even invluntanly, nd is aware of ‘any things which appuenly cme fom the Senses? Ave not al these things war rac he fat ha exe, even fm sleep ll etme, 29 tndevenit he who crested me s doing al becan to deceive me? Which of ‘these Scie distin om my thinking? Which of ther can be ‘hid oe separate fom mysel? The achat who am doubting 3d ncesonding and wiling iso eveden ha | se 0 way Of faking Sy dearer Bort as the cae thatch T ho imagines the ame For even ft have spponed, none ofthe jes af imagination a feak the power af imagination someting which realy exes and it art of my thinking Lay i ao the nme who hs sersoey ferepions, os aware of bodily things as were evough the sense For example, | am nom sexing light, bering noe, feng Bet. Bat maser, soa isis fae. Yet cet) seem et ea, ad tbe ssermed Ths cannot be false; wht called having» Sensory pereep ons js this ania this ested ese ofthe ee spy ‘hikingse we Meditaitons om ist Philosophy ‘From al this Lam beganing to have a ater Beer understanding of wha Tam. Burial appears and canot stp thinking isha the “orporel things of which images ae formed my thous, ad which ‘he sense investigate, ae know with uch ore dstintbess han this puztling* wich csnnot be plated i the smagination. And ye {arly sepsng that should haves more dnc grasp o hinge which Teafae are dou unknown and foreign rome than I have of hat which tic and known my own sl Bur Uace wha i my ind jays wandering of and wl not yet submit 0 Bing resaned within the bound of ath. Very wel then at tha once let pve Ht completely fee eins that afer a while, when iis tine tigen the eis tay more rely surat being cre. Ter consider ee things which people commonly think they under stand most distinc of al that te bodies which We ooh ad et. ‘do noe mean bode i general ~ for general peceptans are pe tobe Somewhat more confused ~ but oe particular boy. Let ws take, fF xa h pice of wax. cha jst een ake rm he oeycomb fas nox yer gle lost he seo he honey crea some ofthe scent of ‘he lowers rom which wae gathered; eau shape and ae lca seg; hard, col ad an be handled witout ely 1708 "api veh your knuckle maker + sound. In shor has everything (rhch appears necessary 1 able a body tobe known di a8 Poses Bu even as Vspealy I pt the wa by she Bir, and Tok: the Fesidal at i eliminated he smell goes aay the cour changes, the Shapes os the size inereases becomes ud and bot you can arly touth i andi yu stke to longer makes 3 sound. But docs he ‘me wx rman? Iemast be admired that des o oe dese 0 ‘ne thinks oder. So what wast inthe wax that | understood wih ‘ch ditincinesr? Evidently none ofthe etares which arced at by Incas ofthe sess: or whatever came under ast, sl igh touch of ‘rearing has now aeed~ yer the wax remains, Perhaps the anower sin the thought which now comes omy minds namely, the wer was nor afer ll he swecne of the honey, or he Fragrance of he Hower, or he whitene, othe shape a he ound bat was eather a body which presented sl to me in thee various foes ¢ Tele wile apo, but which now exhibits dierent one. But what exacly is cat Yam hw imagining? Let concentrate tke away everything which does ot Belong othe webs and see whats et merely something ‘xtended exible and changeable But what is meant hereby “eal Sn changeble’ lee watt pace in my smaginaion: hati pce of ‘ra i apable of changing from s ound shape to auare shape, oF {Hom a aare shape toa tangle shape? Nota al for an gasp th Second Mediation = the wax is capable of counts changes of his kind, eam unable vo fu tough tit immeasuable ner of change in my smaginaton, im wh tows that i not the fclyof Imagination that give tne my gasp ofthe wax a feuble ad changebl. And whats meant by “Srende othe extension of he wax lo koe? Fort creases if the wan chs, increases spin bois, ands rete stl if the est it Increased | would ao be making a couectdgement aboot the nature of ‘tar uneIbeeved it capable a being ecended ia many more ileent Shays than Lvl ever eoeompae it my imagination. I mat hecelore ‘Min that de nature of thi pce of wa ino way eeveled by my Itnagination, butt perceived by the mind alone (am speaking of this parca pee of was the pnt even clears with ead to wax in {eneral) Bar what this wax which s perce by the mind alone? Tis ‘route the sume wan whl ee bi touch which pear iy napnation inshore the same wa hich I hough oe rm the Sat And yea here the pon, the pereption Ihave of isa cate tot of vison ouch or imagination ~ nor bar ever bees, despite brevious apesrances but of purely mental stay and this can be [pees and confused ania before or clear and dint sis 0, ‘depending on how carey concentrate on what th wax consis i ‘Bora each his conlason am amaed at how cweak and prose to eror my mind st For although I am thinking about these waters ‘whim myself sendy and without Speding, nonetheless the acta Mord Bring me op shor, and Lam slow wicked by ordinary ways of Taking. We say the we se the waite there elon ot te judge trae there rom colour or shape; and this might ead me ‘Coclude without ne ado that knowlege of he wax comes fom wht the eye sexy and not fom the scrny ofthe mind alone. But then i Took oof the window ad see men crossing the square a at happen to have dae, nema that see the men tbemsles, us a that see the wax: Yer do lace any sor than hts apd coats which cold onceal automatons lage tha they are en. And 0 vorehig which Though war seing with my ees in ft ramped sll bythe fcley ‘ot ndgement wich fin ny mind ‘lower, one who wants racer knowledge above the oxdnary level should eel ashamed at bang taken ordinary way of eli a 2 ‘for doub. So let ws proceed, and consider on which occasion erepion ofthe maar ofthe wax was moe perfec and eridet Wait ‘tee fr ooked at and Bleed {knew i by ny external senses, oF bia cdl yh nmin i che, TOASTERS pce ds ere” ry s Meditations on Fie Philosophy 2 east by wha they cll she common” sense! ~ that the power of mapiaion? Orie my knowledge more perfect aw aera more crea investigation ofthe nature ofthe wax and ofthe mane by which i Known? Any dou on tis ise would clearly be fool for what Alsinctnes was cere ny cave perepion? Wa thee anhing in twhich an animal could no poses? Bar when I isingush the war rom Vs outward orms taketh clothes lst were, od conser ake then although my jdgement may sill contain eros, at east ey Perception sow requis & human mind im To sa about tis mind, of about mse? So far sm not admiting that shee anything ee me excep 3 find) What Task, is this which seems to peeve the way 50 sicily? Sey my awareness of my own self io merely much wet nd more certain than my waren ofthe wax, but slbo much more Sic and evidet For ge tat he wax exis rom the fact ha Sseeiycleaely thi same fact ees ch more even that eel a ‘ist Tes possible hat wha seis ot ely the wax spose ha ‘domo evn have eyt th which tose anything, But when Ve, ot ‘think see (am not here distinguishing the wo), simpy no posible {hat who am now dunking am aot someting Byte sue token fudge thatthe wa exits om the fact tht Touch i the same rst follows; namely hat exis I 1 jade tha exists from he fact that Imagine eo for any other reason, exactly the sae thing follows. And the result hat have grasped i the case ofthe wa maybe apie tverthing cle lead outside me. Moreover, sm) perecption of the Sree seemed more dita afer war eabhed not un by sgh oF ‘ouch br by many ober considerations mist be ame tit ow nowmysellevenmoredstinaly- Thstbecasseenerconsraton what sever which contibues tomy perception ofthe Wan, oro ny thet try, coat but establish even ore efile nature of my oma mind Bur besides ths thet sso mach een the ibd wel whic am Serve to mal my knowledge of mone tory that ware om ‘orth ping though the comuibutons made by conierng body ‘hin Tce that without any efor Ihave now Bly gor back wo where 1 wanted. now know that evn bode te not sly peeved by the ems orth faely of gation but by the lect shone and that thi prepton derive not frm tet feng touched or seen et fom {hei being undertoods and in wew of tha U now pny that Lc "SRY me ead de a eh ses, ae Second Meditation » achieve an exer and more evident prcepson of my own mind han of yhing ce Bur since he babi a holding on old opinions cannot be ‘erase io uc Lahoud ike to op hee ad meditate forse te ‘on ths new knowledge I ave gine, sow 0 Bx moc deeply ny