[Book Sip] "I think, therefore I am"... Descartes' 'Discourse on the Method'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a connection with the book. We introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from the book. - Editor's note

Discourse on the Method is an autobiographical essay written by Descartes reflecting on his academic life, containing the widely known phrase "I think, therefore I am." Professor Lee Hyun-bok, a leading Descartes scholar in Korea, has compiled Descartes' early works Discourse on the Method and Rules for the Direction of the Mind into one volume, published as part of the Munye Humanities Classics series after 25 years.

Reason is the most evenly distributed thing in the world. This is because everyone thinks they are well equipped with reason, and even those who find it hardest to be satisfied with anything else do not usually desire more than what they already have in this regard. (p.18)

I have devised a method, and thanks to this method, it seems I have a means to gradually increase my understanding step by step, and to raise it little by little to the highest point that can be expected even with my ordinary mind and my short life. (p.20)

After spending several years studying within the book called the world and striving to gain some experience, one day I resolved to study myself, to devote all the powers of my mind to choosing the paths I must follow. (p.29)

Like a person walking alone in the dark, I decided to go very slowly, to be cautious about everything, and even if I could only advance a little, at least to be properly careful not to fall. (p.36)

Discourse on the Method | Written by Ren? Descartes | Translated by Lee Hyun-bok | Munye Publishing | 648 pages | 18,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.