Single Idea 1583

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / B. Certain Knowledge / 1. Certainty]

Full Idea

Descartes' procedure for treating values (accepting normal conventions when faced with uncertainty) is the exact antithesis of that used to attain knowledge.

Gist of Idea

In morals Descartes accepts the conventional, but rejects it in epistemology

Source

comment on René Descartes (A Discourse on Method [1637], §3.23) by David Roochnik - The Tragedy of Reason p.73

Book Reference

Roochnik,David: 'The Tragedy of Reason: the Platonic logos' [Routledge 1990], p.73