Wednesday, February 1, 2006

[1650 - Rene Descartes, philosopher, scientist, died]

[1790 - First session of the U.S. Supreme Court]

[1827 - Alphonse de Rothschild, banker, born in Paris]

[1922 - Renata Tebaldi, opera singer, born in Pesaro, Italy]

[1944 - Piet Mondrian, abstract painter, dies at 71]

Why Am I?

If you would be a real seeker after truth, you must at least once in your life doubt, as far as possible, all things.

Descartes
Discours de la Méthode

The philosopher Descartes embraced the primacy of self-awareness (Cogito, ergo sum). We have now learned that certain monkeys (and not even the smartest of the non-human primates at that) can solve and remember multiple complex, seven-part sequences of images (just as can college students). Both the monkeys and the college students can also compare and analyze a pair of images taken from different sequences to determine which of the two images comes first.
Given these findings that were not available to Descartes in the 17th Century, I wonder if he were alive today whether he might formulate his approach differently.

All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions is called a philosopher.

Ambrose Bierce

William's Whimsical Words:

Fumus, ergo sum seems now to be just as defensible a position in light of the new evidence. [Pardon the poor Latin grammar]

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