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The thinking entity that is proven to exist is the person. To descartes that thinking entity is the very core and fundamental unit of the person. The body and
by tomlock 8y ago
The thinking entity that is proven to exist is the person. To descartes that thinking entity is the very core and fundamental unit of the person. The body and the interactions with others is irrelevant to that core.
- ElBarto 8y agoIt's the 'person' in a totally different sense than what this article discusses.
- tomlock 8y agoThe differences are due to the logic and perspectives of the positions, not the concept of a 'person' itself. It's a similar difference to the concept of a person under existentialism as contrasted with cartesian dualism.
- scooble 8y agoI'm not sure that is right. From the proposition 's runs' I can validly infer that s exists. This does not commit me to the view that running is fundamental to s's personhood. Similarly, the claim that if s thinks then s exists does not entail that a further claim that thinking is central to s's personhood.
- tomlock 8y ago> This does not commit me to the view that running is fundamental to s's personhood. That is not Descartes conclusion or my conclusion. To Descartes, the person as experienced in a priori thought has a special primacy over all other existing things. While "s" may be doubted due to its a posteriori nature, the self is fundamentally undoubtable in its existence, hence "I think therefore I am". To Descartes, the existence of a priori thought is the building block of all logic and personhood.