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descartes’ reason discourse(笛卡尔的推理)-第章

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                                     PART IV 



     I am in doubt as to the propriety of making my first meditations in the 

place above mentioned matter of discourse; for these are so metaphysical; 

and so unmon; as not; perhaps; to be acceptable to every one。                        And 

yet; that it may be determined whether the foundations that I have laid are 

sufficiently   secure;   I   find   myself   in   a   measure   constrained   to   advert   to 

them。     I   had   long   before    remarked     that;  in  relation   to  practice;   it  is 

sometimes       necessary   to    adopt;   as  if  above   doubt;    opinions    which    we 

discern   to   be   highly   uncertain;   as   has   been   already   said;   but   as   I   then 

desired to give my attention solely to the search after truth; I thought that a 

procedure exactly the opposite was called for; and that I ought to reject as 

absolutely false all opinions in regard to which I could suppose the least 

ground for doubt; in order to ascertain whether after that there remained 

aught in my belief that was wholly indubitable。                Accordingly; seeing that 

our   senses   sometimes   deceive   us;   I   was   willing   to   suppose   that   there 

existed nothing really such as they presented to us; and because some men 

err in reasoning; and fall into paralogisms; even on the simplest matters of 

geometry; I; convinced that I was as open to error as any other; rejected as 

false all the reasonings I had hitherto taken for demonstrations; and finally; 

when I considered that the very same thoughts (presentations) which we 

experience   when   awake   may   also   be   experienced   when   we   are   asleep; 

while   there   is   at   that   time   not   one   of   them   true;   I   supposed   that   all   the 

objects (presentations)   that had   ever entered into my   mind when   awake; 

had    in   them    no   more    truth  than    the  illusions    of  my    dreams。     But 

immediately upon this I observed that; whilst I thus wished to think that all 

was false; it was absolutely necessary that I; who thus thought; should be 

somewhat;       and   as   I  observed    that   this  truth;  I  think;   therefore   I  am 

(COGITO   ERGO   SUM);   was   so   certain   and   of   such   evidence   that   no 

ground   of   doubt;   however   extravagant;   could   be   alleged   by   the   sceptics 

capable of shaking it; I concluded that I might; without scruple; accept it 

as the first principle of the philosophy of which I was in search 



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       DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD OF RIGHTLY CONDUCTING THE REASON; AND 



                             SEEKING TRUTH IN THE SCIENCES 



     In the next place; I attentively examined what I was and as I observed 

that I could suppose that I had no body; and that there was no world nor 

any place in which I might be; but that I could not therefore suppose that I 

was   not;   and   that;   on   the   contrary;   from   the   very   circumstance   that   I 

thought to doubt of the truth of other things; it most clearly and certainly 

followed that I was; while; on the other hand; if I had only ceased to think; 

although   all   the   other   objects   which   I   had   ever   imagined   had   been   in 

reality   existent;   I   would   have   had   no   reason   to   believe   that   I   existed;   I 

thence concluded   that   I   was   a   substance   whose   whole   essence or   nature 

consists   only   in   thinking;   and   which;   that   it   may   exist;   has   need   of   no 

place; nor is dependent on any material thing; so that 〃 I;〃 that is to say; the 

mind by which I am what I am; is wholly distinct from the body; and is 

even more easily known than the latter; and is such; that although the latter 

were not; it would still continue to be all that it is。 

     After this I inquired in general into what is essential I to the truth and 

certainty of a proposition; for since I had discovered one which I knew to 

be true; I thought that I must likewise be able to discover the ground of 

this certitude。      And as I observed that in the words I think; therefore I am; 

there is nothing at all which gives me assurance of their truth beyond this; 

that   I   see   very   clearly   that   in   order   to   think   it   is   necessary   to   exist;   I 

concluded that   I   might   take;   as   a   general   rule;   the   principle;   that   all   the 

things     which     we   very    clearly    and   distinctly    conceive      are  true;   only 

observing; however; that there is some difficulty in rightly determining the 

objects which we distinctly conceive。 

     In the next place; from reflecting on the circumstance that I doubted; 

and that consequently my being was not wholly perfect (for I clearly saw 

that it was a greater perfection to know than to doubt); I was led to inquire 

whence I had learned to think of something more perfect than myself; and 

I clearly recognized that I must hold this notion from some nature which 

in reality  was   more   perfect。       As   for the   thoughts   of many  other objects 

external to me; as of the sky; the earth; light; heat; and a thousand more; I 

was   less   at   a   loss   to   know   whence   these   came;   for   since   I   remarked   in 

them   nothing   which   seemed   to   render   them   superior   to   myself;   I   could 

believe that; if these were true; they were dependencies on my own nature; 



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       DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD OF RIGHTLY CONDUCTING THE REASON; AND 



                            SEEKING TRUTH IN THE SCIENCES 



in so far as it possessed a certain perfection; and; if they were false; that I 

held them from nothing; that is to say; that they were in me because of a 

certain imperfection of my nature。             But this could not be the case with… 

the   idea   of   a   nature   more   perfect   than   myself;   for   to   receive   it   from 

nothing   was   a   thing   manifestly   impossible;   and;   because   it   is   not   less 

repugnant that the more perfect should be an effect of; and dependence on 

the less perfect; than that something should proceed from nothing; it was 

equally   impossible   that   I   could   hold   it   from   myself:   accordingly;   it   but 

remained that it had been placed in me by a nature which was in reality 

more   perfect   than   mine;   and   which   even   possessed   within   itself   all   the 

perfections of which I could form any idea; that is to say; in a single word; 

which was God。          And to this I added that; since I knew some perfections 

which I did not possess; I was not the only being in existence (I will here; 

with   your   permission;   freely   use   the   terms   of   the   schools);   but;   on   the 

contrary; that there was of necessity some other more perf
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