The Epistemological Role of Consciousness in Descartes’ Meditations

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/1808-1711.2021.e75658

Abstract

The paper discusses the epistemological role of consciousness in Rene Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy. The discussion focuses on the truth of consciousness beliefs before the skeptical hypothesis of the deceiver. First, it is argued that Descartes’ discovery of the cogito in Meditation II is consistent from the point of view of consciousness. Its activities allow the intuition of cogito in a non-problematic way and the hypothesis of the deceiver does not threat that discovery. Second, it is argued that there is no solid argument in the Meditations for the truth of consciousness beliefs about the states and activities of the mind. Descartes cannot reliably distinguish between his thoughts in the context of this skeptical hypothesis to continue his itinerary. Finally, it questions four interpretations that could be indicated as replies to that objection.

Author Biography

Vinícius França Freitas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais e Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

Possui graduação em Filosofia (Bacharelado e Licenciatura) pela Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (2010), mestrado em Filosofia pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (2012) e doutorado em Filosofia pela Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais e pela Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (2017).

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Published

2021-12-15

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