Meditation - What is Descartes Meditation? Part 1

Descartes is often referred to as the firstthe soul through natural reason.
modern philosopher. He is credited with havingHere are some excerpts from the book of
made important connections between geometryDescartes Meditations 1 and 2:
and algebra that brought about solutions toDescartes Meditation 1 - OF THE THINGS OF
geometrical problems by way of algebraicWHICH WE MAY DOUBT.1. SEVERAL years have
equations. He is also famous for having promotednow elapsed since I first became aware that I
a new concept regarding matter which allowedhad accepted, even from my youth, many false
for the accounting of physical phenomena by wayopinions for true, and that consequently what I
of mechanical explanations.afterward based on such principles was highly
However, what he is most famous for is adoubtful; and from that time I was convinced of
relatively short piece of work called thethe necessity of undertaking once in my life to rid
Meditationes de Prima Philosophia (Meditations onmyself of all the opinions I had adopted, and of
First Philosophy), in which he acknowledges thecommencing anew the work of building from the
existence of God and clearly indicates thefoundation, if I desired to establish a firm and
Distinction between Mind and Body. This wasabiding superstructure in the sciences. But as this
published in 1641 and laid the groundwork for aenterprise appeared to me to be one of great
philosophical approach or explanation to themagnitude, I waited until I had attained an age so
possibility of sciences.Descartes could only havemature as to leave me no hope that at any
dreamed of the kind of popularity his meditationstage of life more advanced I should be better
technique enjoys in today's time andable to execute my design. On this account, I
date.Descartes used skepticism as a means tohave delayed so long that I should henceforth
explain the possibility of knowledge (scientia). Theconsider I was doing wrong were I still to
reader is taken through six different levels ofconsume in deliberation any of the time that now
meditations all of which gradually motivate him orremains for action. To-day, then, since I have
her to discover by way of a philosophicalopportunely freed my mind from all cares [and
investigation the possibility of knowledge.am happily disturbed by no passions], and since I
Descartes Meditations was dedicated to theam in the secure possession of leisure in a
faculty of the Sorbonne, which was the divinitypeaceable retirement, I will at length apply myself
school of the University of Paris. Descartes was aearnestly and freely to the general overthrow of
devout Catholic and had no desire to offend theall my former opinions.
Church, although he did nurse a hope to make aThis is just one of the twelve paragraphs that's in
contribution to its understanding. There are twoDescartes Meditations 1, which is all about
driving issues behind Descartes Meditations: theDescartes establishing his ideas about the world in
first being proving the existence of God and thewhich he can doubt their truth.
second accepting and understanding immortality of