The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.
Rene DescartesRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the ambiguity between dreaming and reality, suggesting that perception can be deceiving.
In this quote, René Descartes expresses his astonishment at the indistinguishability between dreams and reality. He reflects on past experiences where he could not determine whether he was awake or dreaming, leading him to question the certainty of his perceptions. This philosophical inquiry into the nature of existence highlights the complexities of knowledge and belief, pushing us to consider the validity of our sensory experiences.
Themes
DreamRealityPerceptionIllusionPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophy class discussing the nature of reality and consciousness.
More from Rene Descartes
All quotes →If we possessed a thorough knowledge of all the parts of the seed of any animal (e.g. man), we could from that alone, be reasons entirely mathematical and certain, deduce the whole conformation and figure of each of its members, and, conversely if we knew several peculiarities of this conformation, we would from those deduce the nature of its seed.
Rene DescartesRead
Mathematics is a more powerful instrument of knowledge than any other that has been bequeathed to us by human agency.
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Before examining this more carefully and investigating its consequences, I want to dwell for a moment in the contemplation of God, to ponder His attributes in me, to see, admire, and adore the beauty of His boundless light, insofar as my clouded insight allows. Believing that the supreme happiness of the other life consists wholly of the contemplation of divine greatness, I now find that through less perfect contemplation of the same sort I can gain the greatest joy available in this life.
Rene DescartesRead
I am accustomed to sleep and in my dreams to imagine the same things that lunatics imagine when awake.
Rene DescartesRead
The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues.
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