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Selections from the Principles of Philosophy

by René Descartes (1596–1650)

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  • 2 hours to read
  • 5 chapters
  • Reading level: College-level

"Selections from the Principles of Philosophy" by René Descartes is a philosophical work published in 1644. It synthesizes Descartes' earlier writings to present a comprehensive system of metaphysics and natural philosophy. The work establishes fundamental principles of nature and physics, including the revolutionary concept that objects move uniformly in straight lines without external forces. Intended to replace Aristotelian teachings in universities, it offers the first complete mechanistic explanation of the universe, built upon Descartes' metaphysical foundations.

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  • Philosophy

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Part I: Of the Principles of Human Knowledge

I. THAT in order to seek truth, it is necessary once in the course of our life, to doubt, as far as possible, of all things.

As we were at one time children, and as we formed various judgments regarding the objects presented to our senses, when as yet we had not the entire use of our reason, numerous prejudices stand in the way of our arriving at the knowledge of truth; and of these it seems impossible for us to rid ourselves, unless we undertake, once in our lifetime, to doubt of all those things in which we may discover even the smallest suspicion of uncertainty.

II. That we ought also to consider as false all that is doubtful.

Moreover, it will be useful likewise to esteem as false the things of which we shall be able to doubt, that we may with greater clearness discover what possesses most certainty and is the easiest to know.

III. That we ought not meanwhile to make use of doubt in the conduct of life.

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Contents

  1. Front Matter
  2. Part I: Of the Principles of Human Knowledge
  3. Part II: Of the Principles of Material Things
  4. Part III: Of the Visible World
  5. Part IV: Of the Earth

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About this edition

This free edition of Selections from the Principles of Philosophy by René Descartes comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #4391, released 2003-08-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Philosophy & Ethics.

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