“Ego sum, ego existo”: Descartes on the Verge of Heresy
Étienne Balibar
Citizen Subject November 1, 2016 DOI: 10.5422/fordham/9780823273607.003.0004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Descartes's references to the biblical 'sum qui sum' and 'Ego sum' in the Meditations do not point to God, and that it was never God who designated himself in this manner. The author contends that this reading marks a rupture, a 'brutal denegation,' that may prove unacceptable to the faithful of revealed religion and to theologians. |
Abstract
This chapter examines Descartes's references to the biblical sum qui sum and Ego sum in Descartes's Meditations, specifically from the Second Meditation onward, and how, “[b]y the idea of God,” Descartes might really not have meant “anything other than all men usually mean when they speak.” It posits that these references do not point to God, and that furthermore it was never God who designates himself in this manner. From a reference or an intersection inscribed in a literary heritage, this chapter thus arrives at a rupture, a brutal denegation, which might prove unacceptable to the faithful of revealed religion and consequently to the theologians.