The Ideas Of Identity And Identity, By René Descartes

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René Descartes’s interest in a piece of wax demonstrates his ideas about powers of the mind to see through what the senses cannot recognise, as wax changes when melted so greatly yet is still seen as the same wax. Images or examples can be used to challenge this idea of sustained identity through change; such as a ship, larvae or the self. Descartes sought an indubitable idea to secure his foundations for finding certain knowledge. This idea relates to the mind or the self being the starting point for knowledge, leading to investigation of its nature. As a rationalist, Descartes’s views clash greatly with empiricist David Hume. Hume’s example of the self seems far truer and does not appeal to the conventional Western idea of Descartes’s self. This directly challenges the notions of sustained identity in Descartes’s philosophy.
Before presenting the wax argument, Descartes argued that the only undoubtable thing is one’s existence; ‘The pronouncement “I am, I exist” is necessarily true every time I utter it’ (Descartes, 2006, 25). This …show more content…

The subject can recognise identity in change because they have a stable identity themselves. A piece of wax that is solid can melt and change into something which appears as different to all senses, yet the mind perceives a consistent identity. The wax is known not by its experiential qualities but is known because of the mind’s perception of it; ‘[One’s] inspection can be imperfect and confused, as it was [when led by sensation and imagination], or it can be clear and distinct - as it is now [that mental scrutiny has been applied]’ (Descartes, 2006, 31). Consequently, he does not doubt the innate ability of the mind to perceive, even if the wax is illusory. This gives more information about the mind and its nature than it does of the external world and the body (Descartes, 2006.

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