Philosophical Works · Chapter
LXXII explained
Descartes explains that the second cause of error is our inability to forget prejudices formed in childhood.
What happens
Descartes explains that the second cause of error is our inability to forget prejudices formed in childhood. Even in adulthood, when the mind seeks truth independently of the body, these ingrained false judgments persist in memory and lead to errors, as illustrated by the difficulty of conceiving the true size of stars despite astronomical proof.
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Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because it presents the precise moment of epistemological crisi…
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Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Skepticism and Certainty
Highlights how preconceived opinions from childhood undermine certainty, as even clear astronomical reasoning struggles to overcome ingrained false beliefs.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
Reflects on the persistence of childhood prejudices and their role in causing errors.
Key passages
“Thus, for example, since from our earliest years we imagined the stars to be of very small size, we find it highly difficult to rid ourselves of this imagination, although assured by plain astronomical reasons that they are of the greatest—so prevailing is the power of preconceived opinion.”
For instance, because we thought as children that stars were tiny, we struggle to accept astronomical evidence that they are enormous, showing how strong early biases can be.
Illustrates the persistence of childhood prejudices despite contrary evidence.
