Rene Descartes 1596-1650 Rene Descartes 1596-1650

Wax Wax Example Establishes Three Points [SPI]: sensation involves judgment, jjwhat isisperceived by by mind alone, and and immaterial material things better source sof of knowledge.The mind judgesThe wax to be waxno matter how it haschanged:3 pointsare established:S P IAll sensationinvolvessome sort of judgment,which is a mental mode.What is unchangeable inwax is its extension:Length, breadth,& depth are notperceivable by senses,but by mind alone.Immaterial mental thingsare better source ofknowledge than extendedthings; don’t rely on senseimages as source for, oran aid, to knowledge.“every sensation is,in some sense, a mental mode,and “the more attributes[that is, modes] wediscover in the same thing orsubstance, the clearer is ourknowledge of that substance”Shape & size aremodes of extension:They can change while theextensionconstituting waxremains the same.67