Notes on <Meditation on First Philosophy> by Rene Descartes
Background
Rene Descartes’ <Meditation on First Philosophy>, especially the first two meditations, where the famous quote I think therefore I am(Cogito, ergo sum)’ comes from, have had a huge impact in the history of philosophy, they are often considered as the mark for modernity and an unavoidable first step for any modern philosophical thinking. The proposition “I think therefore I am” became a fundamental element of western philosophy, since it tries to form the indubitable foundation of knowledge in the face of radical doubt. This book also brings the mind body problem into people’s attention, and proposed the thesis known as Cartesian Dualism or “mind-body dualism”.