Once Descartes got finished denying everything, the one constant he found was that he was thinking. Yet, a Buddhist would tell you that our thoughts are all over the place, and are the farthest thing from contant. Rather, the constellation of thoughts we take to be an "I" is but an illusion of a separate self. Isn't the breath, i.e. the life force of the body, far more grounded and constant in terms of a persons being and becoming in the world?
2006-10-11 13:22:26 · 17 answers · asked by Didgeridude 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Firstly Rene' was not simply 'denying' everything, he had postulated that an evil deceptive being was able to create a fiction for him to experience as real, and that even his self was suspect as an unreal fiction of evil, that his self awareness was a false assumption grounded on a devils deception. This is the impossible context which made his work so beautiful in its cognitive process success. His declaration 'I think therefore I am' is an equivalent for 'I am thought', but the constituent of human essence time was integral for his success. In the start of his postulation, there was no time, but as he reflected on his own thinking and sensing, he realized time and then himself.
'Yet, a Buddhist would tell you that our thoughts are all over the place, and are the farthest thing from constant. Rather, the constellation of thoughts we take to be an "I" is but an illusion of a separate self. '
Yes, in essence that was the postulation of Rene', but the difference is separate self is evil for Rene'.
'Isn't the breath, i.e. the life force of the body, far more grounded and constant in terms of a persons being and becoming in the world?'
One could state or rewrite that other way around: 'is not the ground of being far more constant than breathing.' As a person becomes not self, they become new self.
2006-10-11 14:19:07 · answer #1 · answered by Psyengine 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Descartes phrase, "I think therefore I am" means that only his reality exists. He thinks whatever he wants, and it happens. There is no other reality; everyone in his own reality is just a product of his own, etc. I don't want to go into it because it’s a really hard concept to grasp but it’s basically the more selfish point of view you can ever have. Breathing is much more physical while Descartes meant something much more mental.
2006-10-11 20:26:57 · answer #2 · answered by k 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Descartes used the word think as an inclusive word for all rational thought. And no he should not have used breathe because many creatures breathe but show no rational thought. I can't say I agree totally with him but his statement is valid to a point.
2006-10-11 20:28:55 · answer #3 · answered by Sophist 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Descartes would disagree with that because he was a rationalist and believed that the physical world is deceptive.
Moreover are we not able to create artificial "life" in a robot? I.E. they are animated they have a form of "life" but they cannot not think.
2006-10-11 20:28:13 · answer #4 · answered by JumpingJoy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Descartes denied all his other sensations, so why not his consciousness which could be considered his sensation of his thoughts and his self? In other words he wasn't complete in denying all his sensations after-all.
Breathing would have been just a function for his body which he had denied with other sensations.
2006-10-11 21:46:47 · answer #5 · answered by : ) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What he meant was self awareness. There are plenty of people that are not "aware" of thier own existance. If you do not know that you exist, then are you really living? The capability of being introspective, if we are capapble, then we need to use it. Can an animal reason enough to say that he "is"? No, therefore breathing simply makes you alive.
2006-10-11 20:32:32 · answer #6 · answered by Cellogirl 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
With or without religion in this question so as not to appear prejudiced, the poor man cannot be introspective because all his time is spent being hungry.
The human brain is the whole center of our physical being. When it dies...............then let whatever your religion dictates, take over.
2006-10-11 20:55:09 · answer #7 · answered by kriend 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I heard a story about DesCartes sitting in a bar and drinking a martini. The bartender asked him if wanted another one.
He said, "I think not." and POOF! he disappeared.
2006-10-11 20:31:32 · answer #8 · answered by GreenHornet 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
escape,I agree that thought is and illusion.The breath is not the life force of the body,The breath and food are but the fuel that power the body. I believe the LIFE of the body is pulsating LIGHT,SPIRIT, I belive this is what the bible referred to as GOD breathed life into the body of man.
2006-10-11 22:04:45 · answer #9 · answered by Weldon 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Descartes actually said "cogito ergo queror ergo sum" did he not? "I think, therefore I question, therefore I am".
It was all about self-awareness, not mere existence. Plants breathe too.
2006-10-11 21:42:20 · answer #10 · answered by Jim P 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋