Meditations and Other Metaphysical Writings by René DescartesDesmond M. ClarkeDesmond M. Clarke in Paperback

René Descartes (1596-1650), a French philosopher and mathematician, is known as the founding figure of modern philosophy. Desmond Clarke, a professor of philosophy at University College, Cork, has translated Descartes' Meditations and Other Metaphysical Writings from Latin and provided an insightful introduction in Penguin Classics. In his pursuit of absolute certainty, Descartes was willing to challenge even the most obvious truths. Through his 1641 Meditations and the accompanying Objections and Replies, he deconstructed and reconstructed the notion of the individual self and its existence. This led to the development of a language of subjectivity that continues to influence modern philosophy, and also laid the groundwork for the famous - and controversial - epigram, "I think, therefore I am" (Cogito, ergo sum). The first volume of a two-volume edition of Descartes' works in Penguin Classics, this version includes selections from the Objections and Replies, Part One of