He lives well who is well hidden. Rene Descartes More Quotes by Rene Descartes More Quotes From Rene Descartes So far, I have been a spectator in this theater which is the world, but I am now about to mount the stage, and I come forward masked. Rene Descartes stage theater world My third maxim was to try always to conquer myself rather than fortune, and to change my desires rather than the order of the world, and generally to accustom myself to believing that there is nothing entirely in our power except our thoughts, so that after we have done our best regarding things external to us, everything in which we do not succeed is for us absolutely impossible. Rene Descartes change power believe I was convinced that our beliefs are based much more on custom and example than on any certain knowledge. Rene Descartes atheism example belief The first precept was never to accept a thing as true until I knew it as such without a single doubt. Rene Descartes philosophical doubt firsts Few look for truth; many prowl about for a reputation of profundity by arrogantly challenging whichever arguments are the best. Rene Descartes reputation challenges looks If ... it is not in my power to arrive at the knowledge of any truth, I may at least do what is in my power, namely, suspend judgement. Rene Descartes judgment judgement may Every man is indeed bound to do what he can to promote the good of others, and a man who is of no use to anyone is strictly worthless. Rene Descartes use men life Everything is self-evident. Rene Descartes evident self reality But I cannot forget that, at other times I have been deceived in sleep by similar illusions; and, attentively considering those cases, I perceive so clearly that there exist no certain marks by which the state of waking can ever be distinguished from sleep, that I feel greatly astonished; and in amazement I almost persuade myself that I am now dreaming. Rene Descartes waking dream sleep There is nothing so far removed from us as to be beyond our reach, or so hidden that we cannot discover it. Rene Descartes persistence space discovery The mind effortlessly and automatically takes in new ideas, which remain in limbo until verified or rejected by conscious, rational analysis. Rene Descartes analysis mind ideas Whatever I have up till now accepted as most true and assured I have gotten either from the senses or through the senses. But from time to time I have found that the senses deceive, and it is prudent never to trust completely those who have deceived us even once. Rene Descartes prudent deceived-us deceiving There is a great difference between mind and body insomuch as body is by nature always divisible, and the mind is entirely indivisible. Rene Descartes differences body mind I am accustomed to sleep and in my dreams to imagine the same things that lunatics imagine when awake. Rene Descartes awake-at-night dream sleep At last I will devote myself sincerely and without reservation to the general demolition of my opinions. Rene Descartes demolition opinion lasts What then is the source of my errors? They are owing simply to the fact that, since the will extends further than the intellect, I do not contain the will within the same boundaries; rather, I also extend it to things I do not understand. Because the will is indifferent in regard to such matters, it easily turns away from the true and the good; and in this way I am deceived and I sin. Rene Descartes owing errors matter Divide each difficulty at hand into as many pieces as possible and as could be required to better solve them. Rene Descartes difficulty pieces hands We call infinite that thing whose limits we have not perceived, and so by that word we do not signify what we understand about a thing, but rather what we do not understand. Rene Descartes ontology logic limits Everybody thinks himself so well supplied with common sense that even those most difficult to please. . . never desire more of it than they already have. Rene Descartes common-sense desire thinking Give me extension and motion and I will construct the universe. Rene Descartes give-me math giving
