Who Am I - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Descartes's belief "I think therefore I am" came to be known as Cogito. This implies that human beings are merely bundles of perception.
Descartes asserts that whatever he perceives very distinctly and clearly is true. He says if you can convince yourself that you exist, then you really do. This definitely means that we exist because we perceive it. He feels the Supreme Power tries to change our perception into making us believe that we are nothing but as long as remain firm that we exist, we really exist. Human beings are capable of thinking, that is a fact. He also firmly believes that clear and distinct perception is the mark of knowledge. Thinking makes you feel sure that you exist. Even doubting your existence, confirms that you exist because that too is a thought and a thought can only arise in a thinking being. In The Principles of Philosophy, Descartes states that perception is clear when it is present and accessible to the attentive mind. Hence, a distinct perception is like visual perception, which is in focus and can be sharply distinguished from other things.

According to Descartes, the body and mind are two distinct entities and distinct substances. The body and mind can be conceived clearly and distinctly different from each other. The body has a definable shape, exists within a defined space, and can be divided into the number of fragments. The mind, on the other hand, has multi-functions but remains indivisible. Bodies are extended substances, incapable of feelings and thoughts while the mind is unextended; they can think and feel. The mind and body are hence incompatible and clearly distinct from each other. He believed that the mind had qualities, which distinguished them from the body. The mind was not physical and would exist even if the body was not there. He stated that the nature of the mind was to think and the nature of the body was to extend in length, breadth, and depth. According to Cottingham (1986, p. 119), causal transactions in the case of the body and mind is impossible. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More