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Good sense = The power of judging aright and distinguishing Truth from Error
Creations laws, rules, buildings, perspectives on life, from a single person are of
better quality than those from more persons.
1. Never to accept anything for true which I did not clearly know to be such. (To avoid
prejudice and precipitation)
2. To divide each of the difficulties under examination into as many parts as possible
3. To conduct my thoughts in such order that, by commencing with objects the simplest
and easiest to know, I might ascend by little and little, and, as it were, step by step, to the
knowledge of the more complex.
Each discovered truth makes available the discovery of other subsequent truths.
(Paraphrase)
The truth on any particular point is one. -:> Whoever apprehends the truth, knows
all that on that point can be known.
A Simple Code of Morals One Ought to Follow
1. One must obey the laws and customs of his country. -> Have faith in God and
keep moderate opinions, stay away from the extremes. All excess is generally
vicious.
* I hoped gradually to perfect my judgments, and not to suffer them to deteriorate
2. One must be as firm and resolute as possible in his actions. -> When in doubt, go
for the most probable path.
3. One must always endeavor to conquer oneself rather than fortune, so one must
change his desires rather than the orders of the world.
Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.
If we consider all external goods as equally beyond our power, we shall no more regret
the absence of such goods as seem due to our birth. (Continuous meditation is
required to achieve this.)
All that is necessary to right action is right judgment, and to the best action the
most correct judgment, that is, to the acquisition of all the virtues with all else that is
truly valuable and within our reach; and the assurance of such an acquisition
cannot fail to render us contented.
!!!I doubt, therefore I think, I think, therefore I am. The first principle of
Descartes proposed Philosophy
=:> I [am] a substance whose whole essence or nature consists only in thinking.
Latin: Dubito ergo cogito, cogito ergo sum.!!!
!!!Only a thing that is absolutely independent, and therefore unique, can be perfect.
Things that are not unique cannot be perfect.!!!
All composition is an evidence of dependency.
A state of dependency is manifestly a state of imperfection
Nature has all the possible perfections. Combined, they are God. -> Infinite, Eternal,
Immutable, Omniscient, All-powerful.
Dualism: The mind and the body are distinct from one another. -> The intelligent
nature is distinct from the corporeal.
All the things which we clearly and distinctly conceive are true, are certain only because
God is or exists, and because he is a Perfect [Infinite] Being, and because all that we
possess is derived from him.