Philosophical Works · Chapter
LXXIII explained
Descartes explains that the mind's fatigue from attending to non-sensible objects leads to a habitual reliance on preconceived opinions, causing many to mistakenly believe that only corporeal, imaginable, and sensible substances exist, wher
What happens
Descartes explains that the mind's fatigue from attending to non-sensible objects leads to a habitual reliance on preconceived opinions, causing many to mistakenly believe that only corporeal, imaginable, and sensible substances exist, whereas true understanding requires reason exercised upon sensible objects.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
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…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Reason and Method
Descartes emphasizes that reason, not the senses alone, is required to perceive objects truly, highlighting the method of rational inquiry.
- Mind-Body Dualism
The discussion of the mind's union with the body and its difficulty attending to non-sensible objects touches on the dualistic relationship between mind and body.
Characters to notice
- Narrator
The narrator describes the mind's difficulty attending to non-sensible objects and the resulting errors in judgment.
Key passages
“the third cause is, that we become fatigued by attending to those objects which are not present to the senses; and that we are thus accustomed to judge of these not from present perception but from preconceived opinion.”
A third reason for error is that we get tired when focusing on things not perceived by the senses, so we judge them based on prior beliefs rather than direct experience.
Descartes identifies mental fatigue as a source of reliance on preconceived opinions.
“many are unable to conceive any substance except what is imaginable and corporeal, and even sensible.”
Many people can only think of substances that can be imagined, are physical, and can be sensed.
Descartes criticizes the common tendency to limit reality to what is tangible and perceptible.
