Essays on Descartes' Meditations (Philosophical Traditions): 4

548 Pages·1986·24.917 MB·English

by  Amelie Oksenberg Rorty (editor)

ESSAYOSN
DESCARTES'
Meditations
EditbeyAd m élOikes enRboerrtgy
UNIVERSOIFTYC ALIFORNPIRAE SS
BERKELEY LosA NGELES LONDON
UniverosfCi atlyi fPorrnieas s
BerkealnedLy o Asn gelCeasl,i fornia
UniverosfCi atlyi fPorrnieasL st,d .
LondoEnn,g land
Copyr©i 1g9h86tb yT heR egeonftt shU en iverosfCi atlyi fornia
LibroafCry o ngrCeastsa loignPi unbgl icDaattiao n
Maienn turnyd etri tle:
EssaoynDs e scaMretdeist'a tions.
(Majtohri nkseerr;si4 e)s
Bibliogpr.a phy:
1.DescaRretneés1,,5 96-1M6e5d0i.t atdiepo rniemsa
philosophia-eAsdsdarlyeessc,st eu2sr.,eF si.r st
philosophy-Aedsdsraleyesscs,te us1r,.Re osr.t y,
AméliIel.S. e ries.
81854.E1S9B8 6 194 85-8643
ISB0N- 520-05(5a0lp9ka-.p8 e r)
Prinitnte hdUe n itSetda otfAe mse rica
3456789
Thpea puesrei dnt hpiusb limceaetttihsmoe in n imum
requiroeAfmm eenrtiNsca atniS otnaanlfd oaIrrn df ormation
Sciences-PoePfr ampafenoPrerr n icnLeti ebdrM aartye rials,
ANS2I3 9.48-91 984.
Contents
Preface ix
Chronology xiii
GeneBriabll iography xix
1. ThSet rucotfDu ersec aMretdeist'a tions
1
AMÉLÜIKES ENBREORRGT Y
ThNea ïNvaer raMteodri:ti anDt eisocna rtes'
2.
Meditations
21
L.ARYEKHO SMAN
ThSee nsaentsdh Fel esEhyleeTs:hMs ee ditations
3.
asC ogniEtxievrec ises
45
GARHYA TFIELD
Semienvl i TthaSe:c ieBnatciokfiucn tdo
4. gr
DescaMretdeist'a tions
81
DANIGEALR BER
Descaarnttdeh Msee taphoyfDs oiucbst 117
5.
MICHAWEILL LIAMS
Descaarnttdeh Pser obolfOe tmh Meirn ds,
6. 141
GAREBT.MH A ITHEWS
VI Contents
7. Analysis in the Meditations: The Quest for
Clear and Distinct Ideas 153
E. M. CURLEY
8. The Theory of Ideas 177
VERE CHAPPELL
9. The Second Meditation and the Essence of
the Mind 199
JOHN P. CARRIERO
10. Meaning and Objective Being: Descartes
and His Sources 223
CALVIN NORMORE
11. Is There Radical Dissimulation in Descartes'
Meditations? 243
Lours E. LOEB
12. On the Complementarity of Meditations III
and V: From the "General Rule" of Evidence
to "Certain Science" 271
GENEVIEVE RODIS-LEWIS
13. The Essential Incoherence of Descartes'
Definition of Divinity 297
JEAN-LUC MARION
14. Can I Be the Cause of My Idea of the World?
(Descartes on the Infinite and Indefinite) 339
MARGARET D. WILSON
15. The Idea of the True God in Descartes 359
ANNETTE BAIER
16. Confused and Obscure Ideas of Sense 389
MARTHA BOLTON
17. Will and the Theory of Judgment 405
DAVID M. ROSENTHAL
Contents
vii
ObjectuPmu raMea theMsaetohse:m atical
18.
Constraunctdth iPeoa ns sfargoEems sence
toE xistence
435
DAVIRD.L ACHTERMAN
ThSet aotfNu esc esasnlidmt pyo ssiinbility
19.
Descartes
459
HIDIES HIGURO
20.Desca"rAtTlehlsi :nW ghsi IcC ho nceive
CleaarnlDdyi stiinnCc otrlpyoO rbejaelc ts
ArienT hem"
473
RUTMHA TTERN
21.WhyW asD escaaFr otuensd ationalist?
491
FREDEFR.SI CCHKM ITT
22.CartePsaisasanin otdnh sUe n ioofMn i nd
anBdo dy
513
AMÉLÜIKES ENBREORRGT Y
Cotnr tiobrus
535

Preface
Meditations
Descaurrtgehesisr s e adneorttsoi ntertpher et asaw ork
compoosfea ds eotfs epaarnadtd ei sjotihneesbdeu srt,a thtoe r
folhlioimwnh imse ditaetxieorncHaielms eeastn.bso r ihnirgse aders
toa r ealiozfat thieeoisnrs enntaitautlrh eeesx :e rcairtseore esv eal
thmee ditactaopra'chsii tpsio ewset,roa voeirdr aonrtd o d iscover
truDtehs.c ahrawtsee isg rhetays foownrrs i ttihbniogso akn,wd ri ting
iitn t hwiasy n,o atsa t reaitnei psies temoorel voeagnsya t , r eatise
ont hmee taphfyosuincdaaoltf s icoine nce.
Thbeo lcdo nfiodfeC nacret essciiaeinnsa cm ea nifoefts htEeon ­
lighteanswm eelanlsat n a ssuroaftn hcteer uotfahd eductthievoe­
retpihcyaslTi hcmese .t htohdaf to untdhssi csi eannctdeh ,ar tu les
alilt dse monstriasst iimopnalsne,de lemenTthaerrf leye.c tive
analbyyws hiistc hhme i ncda dni sciotveses rs eanncddee monstrate
itosw ne xistceaannlc speor o tvheee x istoefGn ocdae n tdh ter uths
ofn atuArneya. t temnitnicdva,ep aobftl heke i nodfc rirteiflceaclt ion
requbiyrt ehadep plicoaftt hlieao ownfn oncontrianid nidcitrieocnt
proocfasan,c qusicriee nktniofiwcl eodftg heees seonfEc xet ension,
thbea sliacwo sfn atuNroea .u thonroir teyv,e lantoci loans,s ical
leamiisnn egc esosnalcrylyri a;t yr,e flecatnicdoa nr,e fualrrneee ­ss
quirNeodet.v eGna limlaedaoed aiamsr evolutaisto hniasr.y Like
thEen lightpernomgertnahtmfa sot l lhoiwesep di stemroelvoogliuc­al
tioDne,s casrctieesnp'tr iofijmcei cgtwhset lb let houtgohh atv hea d
profopuonldi atnitdch aelo lcoognisceaqlu ences.
X Preface
WhetDheesrc asrattweh sec soen sequednicsegsuh iiawssnee dld ­
comoerw, h ethhewe arns o ftu lilnapy o sittosi eowenh afto llowed
frohmie sp istemroelvoogliiucastam ilao tnft,oes rrp eculTahtiiso n.
mucihsc lehaerw :r ottheDe i scoonuM resteht ooad s sutrheeen ­
lighttehncaeotdm msoenn issne o utn dermbiytn herede viosfi on
belrieeqfusbi yCr aerdt essciiaeEnnv ceientf. h aen almyettihco d has
as kepmtoimceainlrtt e ,c onsrtarttuhhceatdrnse stroysb eo­rdinary
liaebfostu htpe h yswiocralNldo n.re eiddt i srtuhopert d oefdr a ily
liofrte ho er doepfro liatuitchaoPlrr iotpuyen.rd leyr stthmoeeo tdh,o d
doensos tu bstoinsteeu o.tfdte o gmfaoasrn otbheecra:iup tsr eo vides
at efsottrh t er uotifht d sa imiitsbs ,o stehl f-acnrcdio tnisctarlu ctive.
Haviinnmg i nGda liflaetDoee',ss c airastl eesasog teoar s stuhree
religaiuotuhso trhiatttih ecese nttreanleo tfts h eolaorngeoy t
threabtyte hnmeee dt aphsyyssitocenwam hl i hcihrs e visainotnia­ry
ScholsacsiterineccsI etn sd.eh eew da nttsosh otwh tahtve e mrey thod
whiecsht abtlhivesa hleiosdfa id teyd ucmtaitvhee msactiieocnfac le
thsey stoefEm x tenistsih moeen t htohdca atpn r otvheee x istence
oGfo adn tdh iem morottfah lseio tuyl a-oshr e,p uititsan s omewhat
mormeo depsats stahgdeei ,s tinocftt hsneoe fusrlso t mhb eo dy-on
thbea soifns a turala lroHeneaeh s.aco son rn aesh, e i ntimianh tiess
dedicoaftt hiMeoe nd ittaot" itomhnoess w,ti saeni dl lusDterainosu s
anDdo ctooftr hsse a cFraecdu olfTt hye olionPg ayr itosf ,u"lt fhiel l
Scholparsotmioicfus nei fying anstdch ieeonlcBoeugD tye .s cartes
dindo cta hsitas s suriantn hcfeeo sro mfc lasmseidciatlas toiloenlsy
toa sstuhrteeh eoloogfhi ioasrn tsh·o hdeof xoyl:lt ohaweus t hoofr s
thter aditionailnw amnetdtiiotnt rgaa tnishofinrosser amd leitrs s .
fotrh riesa stohnah tei nstihsatttshr ee admeerd itwaitthhei m,
beariinmn ign tdh meo vemoefnt thw eo raksa w holLei.kt eh e
authootfrr sa dimteidointaaDlte isocnaisrn,tt eetsnfo d rtseh ere e ader
froiml luasnifdoa nl sainttdoby r,i hnigm a t trouu ned erstoafn ding
hipsl aicnGe o sdc 'r eaCteirotnDa.ei snclayrr etveiasssw e esal slu ses
thmee ditaftoirTomhn.rea e la cdoernrte ois d enhtiimfysw eilthfhi s
capaciftorirae tiso tnhaolur gahttth heawrni thhif sa itthmhei: n ids
nopta orftt h seo ublut,th weh oolfte h seo wuhli tchhi nTkhGseo. d
tow hitchhCe a rtemseidainti asbt roorui gtshh tge u araonftt hoer
valiodrfi attyia orngaulmT ehnsett .r uocftt huMere ed itiamste iaonnts
simultatnore eoausstslhuyDer e ea annsDd o ctooftr hsFe a cuolft y
Theolaongtdyo a, s sutrhmeee dittahtahotecr a dni scaolvtleh re
necestsrauortfynh ast buyrt eh e siumsopefhl ieossw tni ntellectual
powresp,o wearvsa itloaa nbmyli en cda paobfrl eef lection.
Thees siaynts h bioso akr oer gantiofz oeldtl hosewe queonfc e
DescaMretdeist'aa sct lioosanesspl oys sTibhlaeeu .t hwoerrases ked
Preface xi
tof ocounas s eotfs pectiefixictnt s hM ee ditattoai noanltsyh,ze ei r
functiinto hnmese ditadteivoenlaolop ftm heweno tr bke,a riinn g
mintdh ter adiftoiroomfnt ahglee norfse u cwhr itaiswn egla,ls
Descartes' roaftt himeoe ndailt amrtoeidvoeBin.osa tiAlhor ny eh
KosmaannAd m élRioerd tiys ctuhssest rucotftu hwreoe r aksa
wholfeo,c uosnit nhgwe a yisnw hitchhre e adiesmr e atnotb e
transfboyfr omleldot wheiexn egr acnirdse egsi pmreens einntt heed
teTxhte.ey x amtihnreeo o ltfeh aeu tahsaod ri reocafmt eodri tational
exericnei fsfee tchttairtna gn sformation.
Thnee xsteo tfe ssays-btyHh aotsfieGe alrdb,We irl,l iaanmds ,
Matthewso-ntf hofiecr usostrc , a thsatratogifDec e ,s caMretdeist'a ­
tioGnasryH. a tfideilsdc uDsessecsat rhteeoosfrp' ye rceapsti ito n,
idse veliontp heceda thoafsr esnissa itnti hFoein rM setd itaHtei on.
comparesv iPelowanstt horene ilca tion betawnecdeo ng ­sensation
nitwiiotnth h ose Dpersecsaurptipentos hs seekep ss oifst hFei rst
Meditaanttdih oonhs eee xplidceivtelliyont p hsOpe t iacnstd h e
physiowloorgkisc.a l
DanGiaerlb aenra ltyhzeeef sfo eftc htse k epctaitchaialnDr essi­s
caratcecso'ou tfn hrtee labteitowcneo emnm onsiedneosafpes h ysical
objecclteasan,rdd i stpihniclto siodpeahabisoet u htee s seonfEc xe­
tensainosdnc ,i etnhteiofiarcbi oetushtn e a tuorfb eo diMeisc.h ael
WilllioacmDaset secsa ursotesfe k se'p atrigcuamlwe inttthshis enk ep­
titcraald iGtairoeMnta;ht thceowmsp aDreessc atrrteeasto'mft e hnet
probolfoe tmh meirn wdist thh oaftA ugustine.
E.M.C uralneVdye rCeh apppreelplta hwreae fy o trhm eo vement
(romc athdaerstpitacoai nra lryetciocn stTrhueacynt ailoDynez.se ­
carttheesoo'rf iy d eaanstd,h reo tlheta htce r itfeocrrli aaar nidt y
distinpcltainynte hstesr ansfirtotimhom ene thoofdd o utbott h e
methoofad n alysis.
Thees sbayyC sa rraineNdro or motrreas coemo eft hien fluences
onD escaarrtgeusm'Je onhtCnsa .r rairegrutoeh sta htce o gairtgou ­
mensth oTwhso miisntfilcui etinsmc peo:r itnsao nstcom e u cihni ts
beianp gr ofootfrh e ex isottfeh nsece aelsi fi n t bse iadn egm onstration
oft hees seonftc hese e ldfe,r ifrvoemid tp sr imaacrtyi vCiatliveisn.
Normolroec atthmeees d iesvoaulro cfDe ess caprrtienscc'io pnl­es
cemifnogr amnaodib jercetailviet y.
Thpea pebryLs o eRbo,d is-MLaerwiiWosin,l, s aonnBd,a iperre ­
senatn aloyfts hecese ntsreaclto ifto hnMese dittahteieyox nasm:i ne
thpei voptraoifo oftrsh eex istoefGn ocdLe.o uLiosea br gutehsa t
thper oooftf hsee x isotfGe onadcr ene o nte cestsota hfreoy u ndation
ofas ecudreem,o nstmraatthievmesa,ct iiecGnaeclne e.v Rioèdvies ­
Lewdiiss cutshrseee lsa atmioontnghsv e a riporuosfo oftrsh e ex is-
xii Preface
tenocfGe o do ffeirnMe edd itaItIaiIno dVn .sJ ean-MLaurci on
analtyhzmeee sa nionftg hsve a ri"onuasm oefsG "o dp reseinnt ed
thper oosfhso,wh ionwDge scaurstebedusr,t e vimseeddi,te evramls .
MargWairlesteo xna mitnhaeers g umfreonmit n finaintygd,i vaens
accooufDn ets cavriteoewnsts 'h i en defianntidht ieen fiAnninteet.t e
Baieevra lutahrteoe olsfte h ied oeafG odi nt hter ansfirtotimho en
Meditations.
cathtaotr htreie cc onsternutcetroipftvr heie s es
Thpea pbeyrB so latnoRdno senftohcoauntls h m eo meoncftr si tical
reflehcatviiaonsngs: uh riemdso efalG fo dw hoc erttihtfiere usot fh
scietnhmceee d,i tmautseotxr p ltahpieon s siobfhiu lmiaftnay l libility.
MartBhoal atnoanl tyhzteeh se oofre yr raonrtd,h reo olfte h wei ll
ina ffircmoinnfgua snoedbd s ciudreoeaf ss e nDsaev.Ri ods enthal
examitnhfeeus n cDteisocnaa rstseitsgot n hwsei ilnfl o rmjiundgg ­
mentthsce:o nditthiaaostns tsuh rpeeo ssiobvfia lldiietdmy o nstration
alesxop ltahpieon s siobfei rlriotry.
Thlea ssetot fe ssays---btyLh aocshet eIrsmhaingM,ua rtot,e rn,
SchmaintdRt o,r ty-ttotu hrfeni ntaalso kft hmee ditatthieo ns,
reinterapnrrdee tcaotnisotonrtf uh pceht yisowinoc raallndt d h ceo m­
pounudn iotfmy i nadn bdo dLya.c htegrimvaaennas c cotuhnet
plaocfme a themiaDnt eisccsaa rntaelosytf's h eiess s eonfEc xet ension
antdh per ooofif te sx istHeindIcese h.i cgoumrpoat rhreeos ol fte h e
lawosfl ogiinCc a rteasniLdae ni bnpirzoioaafnnsdd ,i scutshseeisr
respevciteiowvnste h reo olfme a themiantt hiecosr pehtyisciacls .
RutMha ttaenranl tyhzaeec sc ooufpn hty soibcjaeplcr tess einnt ed
thSei xMtehd itagtiivoinn,g clotsote h reea ltatbteeintotwnie oenn
Descarretienss't oaftt hecemo emnmto nsiednesoaifpsc h ayls oibc­al
jecatnhsdi csh aractoeftr hisezc aiteiinodtnoei faEfi xct enFsrieodn­.
eriScckh mgiitvaten as c cooufDn ets cafrotuensd'a tidoinsatliins­m,
guisthhipenr gi ncoifsp clieepsnr cees einntt heSedi xMtehd itation
frotmhs eu bstaasnstuimvpeot tfih oenosrp ehtyiscAiamclés lR.io er ty
examitnhreeos tl heta htpe a sspiloainynDs e scaarctceoosuft'n h te
uniooftn h mei nadn tdh beo dy.
A.O .R .