Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1998 22:00:42 +0200
Subject: Re: truth


Michael Eldred wrote:
> 
> Cologne, 29 July 1998
> 
> Henk van Tuijl schrieb:
> > Till Descartes, the question concerning the sense of the _ego_ of _ego
> > sum_, was not really asked, nor answered. One might say that Descartes
> > tries to ask this question, as Heidegger tries to ask the question
> > concerning the sense of the _sum_ of _ego sum_.
> 
> And Descartes’ answer? Presumably:
> 
> “Sum certus me esse rem cogitantem” (Med. III 2)
> 
> “I am certain I am a cogitating thing.”
> 
> And only that is true which is certain for me, a cogitating thing.

Michael, you do Descartes justice by translating "cogitans" 
as "cogitating" - instead of the usual "thinking". Thinking 
is only one aspect of the Cartesian "cogitare".  

Personally, I prefer - as a first attempt to answer the 
question - the following passage (AT VII 27):

Ego sum, ego existo; certum est. Quandiu autem? Nempe quandiu 
cogito; nam forte etiam fieri posset, si cessarem ab omni 
cogitatione, ut illico totus esse desinerem. {...]

Roughly: I am, I exist; so much is certain. How long? As long 
as I cogitate, since it might well be that the whole of me 
comes to an end if I stop having thoughts. [...] 

Derrida and also Marion point out that the Cartesian 
"cogitare" is not just a "me cogitare":

_Je suis_ veut donc dire originairement je suis mortel. 
Derrida, _La voix et le phénomène; Introduction au problème 
du signe dans la phénoménologie de Husserl_. p 60 f.)
 
Roughly: _I am_ means therefore originally I am mortal.

Kindest regards,
Henk



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