Native Universe: Voices of Indian America Book

For all his doubting, there seems to be a direct line connecting the Cartesian quest for certitude with that of Augustine (of Hippo); they almost appear to join hands across the centuries in their limitless craving for absolute certainty, without which they simply cannot exist. (Pun intended.) But not only in just that: In many and obvious ways, Descartes is still steeped in the medieval tradition, despite often being called the first modern philosopher - a distinction that more obviously belongs with Spinoza, who is the first to make a decisive break with religious tradition, as has been pointed out by Spinoza scholar H.A. Wolfson. Still, Descartes was an important influence for Spinoza (something he hardly would have appreciated, I reckon), as he was for many others. - If you first are going to read the Meditations, there are many good reasons to chose this Hackett edition, which includes the Objections and Replies (that were included in the first publication in 1641) and also an enlightening introduction by Roger Ariew, where he discusses how Descartes own thought developed as he responded to the different objections - and concludes that "All in all, Descartes' bloc of certainty looks more like a sedimentary rock, a geological stratum with cracks and fissures, able to be read in historical terms." - However, if you maintain that you've had your fill with the Meditations alone, I can't say I blame you - also, the additional material is not exactly an easy read and I freely confess to have simply skimmed through certain parts of it. I had already read the translation of Meditations by Donald Cress in another Hackett edition, and as I have not read in the original language, all I can say about it is that the translation flows well. For sure, the philosophical inconsistencies, whenever they occur, are Descartes' own. At least as far as this particular work is concerned, I find Monsieur Descartes a rather presumptuous kind of fellow (and I suspect some of the authors of the Objections would be inclined to agree with that assessment.) I can respect a good argument even if I don't necessarily agree with the conclusion, but here Descartes seems simply sloppy at times. There's no disputing his importance for Western philosophy and science though - it is in view of this fact that it's worth the read - and thankfully, the Meditations is a short book.




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