Rene Descartes - Being and Nothingness (Discourse on Method, pt. 4) - Philosophy Core Concepts

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This is a video in my new Core Concepts series -- designed to provide students and lifelong learners a brief discussion focused on one main concept from a classic philosophical text and thinker.
This Core Concept video focuses on Rene Descartes' work The Discourse on Method, specifically on his references in part 4 to being and nothingness (néant) in relation to truth and falsity.
Descartes writes of our ideas - when they are clear and distinct - as being true and as participating in being. When our ideas are confused and obscure, they are false and - as he tells us - they "participate in nothingness." We can also think about our own metaphysical status as poised in some sense between the fullness of being and nothingness.
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You can find the copy of the text I am using for this sequence on Descartes' Discourse on Method here - amzn.to/2JpMP7i

[@DarkFire515]

Well this is getting interesting. As an ex nuclear physicist Descartes' bonfire of thing that can be doubted goes *much* too far for my sensibilities, but having never seriously read any of his works it'll be very interesting to see what he builds from the fundamental principles that he seems to believe cannot be doubted. Very interesting, I'll be looking forwards to the rest of the videos in this series.

[@GregoryBSadler]

You probably ought to read the works rather than just watch videos

[@DarkFire515]

Yes, I absolutely should, no argument about that!

[@mattgilbert7347]

I've only read the "Meditations" (I skipped the description and for a moment thought this was a talk on that work - "falsity" right there!) Now I am intrigued with the "Discourse" and would very much like to read it. Thank you, Dr. Sadler.

[@GregoryBSadler]

It's worth reading, since it gives you some stuff you're not going to find in the Meditations. Still, if I had to pick one of them, it would be the Meditations over the Discourse, I have to admit. . .

[@iamcaesar6741]

I have now come to the concept of “Facticity” do you have a video dedicated on that subject?

[@GregoryBSadler]

th-cam.com/video/kSnxvnrCHLw/w-d-xo.html