PHIL 1F90 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Westron, Beeswax, Cogito Ergo Sum

• School: Brock University
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHIL 1F90
• Professor: Richard Brown

Document Summary

Now descartes will make a preliminary investigation of essence of body. This piece of wax, meditation two, is used by him as a paradigm for any body, any physical material or corporeal thing. He says we believe we know and understand the body both clearly and distinctly and we think the body is easier to know and understand than the mind. Bodies are what we perceive through our senses; however, let"s take this piece of wax . He describes in detail a piece of beeswax as it is perceived by all 5 sense modalities. What does he see: whitish-yellow in colour and triangular in shape, tastes sweet like honey, smells like flowers, feels hard and cold, makes a sound when knocked. You can see it, taste it, smell it, feel it and hear it. Then he places the wax in front of a fireplace.