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Philosophical Works · Chapter

Chapter XXVII: On the Indefinite and the Infinite explained

This chapter distinguishes between the indefinite and the infinite, reserving the term 'infinite' for God alone, who is positively conceived as having no limits, while other things are called indefinite because their limits, if any, cannot

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This chapter distinguishes between the indefinite and the infinite, reserving the term 'infinite' for God alone, who is positively conceived as having no limits, while other things are called indefinite because their limits, if any, cannot be discovered by us.

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • 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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Themes in this chapter

  • Existence of God

    The chapter reserves the term 'infinite' for God alone, emphasizing His unique status as a being without limits, which is central to Descartes' proof of God's existence.

  • Reason and Method

    The distinction between indefinite and infinite is made through clear and distinct reasoning, demonstrating the method of careful conceptual analysis.

Characters to notice

  • God

    God is described as the only being that is truly infinite, with no limits on any side and positively conceived as admitting none.

  • Narrator

    The narrator explains the distinction between the indefinite and the infinite, using 'we' to represent the philosophical perspective.

Key passages

  • “And we will call those things indefinite rather than infinite, with the view of reserving to God alone the appellation of infinite; in the first place, because not only do we discover in him alone no limits on any side, but also because we positively conceive that he admits of none; and in the second place, because we do not in the same way positively conceive that other things are in every part unlimited, but merely negatively admit that their limits, if they have any, cannot be discovered by us.”

    We will call things 'indefinite' instead of 'infinite' to reserve the term 'infinite' for God alone. This is because we find no limits in God and positively understand that He has none, whereas for other things we cannot positively conceive them as unlimited; we only negatively acknowledge that we cannot discover their limits, if they exist.

    This passage clarifies the key distinction between the indefinite and the infinite, central to Descartes' metaphysics.

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