Descartes, Trumpian Thomism, and ‘Pronouns’
Descarte's statement, proof of being, "I think therefore I am," always seemed a bit silly to me. Why not, "I breathe, therefore I am?" Or "I speak, therefore I am." But no, like John M. Grondelski points out in the article, Descartes created a dualism and a rift between body and soul. Read the article and think about it. Have you. read 10 Books that Screwed Up the World? by Benjamin Wiker? Descartes is among the screw ups. Ideas have consequences and some ideas have really bad consequences. Just look at how gender ideology, an insane idea, has destroyed the lives of so many children.
The best philosophy is the one Jesus taught us. Love God and love your neighbor. And what does loving God mean? Obey the commandments, do good to those that hate you. Love the truth because Jesus is the truth. Jesus did not come to us as an unembodied mind, like a voice coming out of an image on a cloud. He came to us, body and soul, in the incarnation. There's a lesson in that about the unity of body and soul.
I'll be praying for you today when I say my rosary in the chapel before the throne of Christ the King. Please pray for me as well.
Viva Cristo Rey!
Glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteI did like it very much. Food for thought. I need to find my copy of Wiker's book and re-read the chapter on Descartes. I'm not much into philosophy; it gives me a headache. Metaphysics was one of my least favorite courses in college although I got an A in it. Don't ask me to explain one thing I learned except to be nauseated by Sartre.
DeleteI now have 2 books by Mr. Wiker on hold at the library. Thanks for the suggestion.
ReplyDeleteI have often thought about how many people I know think they are the cultivators of original thought. I haven't been able to sort it out into a reasonable conversation to have. I suspect most of their thoughts (and perhaps mine?) are the product of ideas that have been assimilated without much thought. Much like today's slogans. I hope Mr. Wiker's books get me on that path.
I just saw that Wiker wrote another book about ten books that every conservative should read. That sounds interesting. Think I'll look for it myself. I doubt our library has it.
DeleteDescartes was responding to Buddhism. Buddhism says there is no soul, no self, you don't exist, everything is a delusion. Descartes says lets start by accepting that and then we must assume there is an almighty demon deceiving us, corrupting all our thoughts, but aha, that proves we exist as thinking things, as souls, because if I'm thinking then I DO exist. And then he argues if I exist then there is a creator and proceeds from there. St. Augustine also has a similar line about thinking proving we exist by the way.
ReplyDeleteDid you read the article? I thought this paragraph was particularly on point as well as being amusing.
DeleteIn the end, Descartes gives us not an objective world out there that we then perceive. He gives us a subjective world built in one’s mind and projected onto the world “out there.” Which comes first: the world or your mind? For René, it’s essentially the latter, which is why he put des cart before des horse.
Descartes could have used a statement that recognized the union of body and soul: "I cook a meal and serve it to my family, therefore I am." Or, "I build a fire to warm myself, therefore I am." These are things that animals don't do, but rational human beings do using both mind and body. Descartes' aphorism makes man and his thinking central to his existence in my opinion when the truth is that, "God thinks, therefore I am."
I'm interested in your statement about Aquinas and Augustine. Can you send me some links to explore?
Descartes' methodology was the systematic doubt. Doubt everything until you've got something absolutely undoubtable. He thought he had it in "Cogito ergo sum." But he overlooked one thing - he forgot to doubt His own doubt. Philosophically, he never got much further than the skunk who said " I stink, therefore I am."
ReplyDeleteProbably refers to Augustine said:
ReplyDeleteFallor ergo sum - I err, therefore I am.