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over Marjorie Perloff’s. First, Jonathan Ree’s article was more fluid and reader
background of the text along with the discussion of text, which does help
readings, he was building Descartes and his thoughts through Cartesian texts
and the absence of it (as Descartes ambitiously promised before but it did not
bear fruit).
because of the books in which Descartes wrote which were a little fictional
legendary (by quoting Hegel calling Descartes an ancestor-myth) but still human,
a perfectionist human. Ree organized Descartes works and life into four
Ree pointed out in the beginning of the book that he was adapting the
attitude of irony and philosophical experience as his guide for his book which in
turn was why he had named it Descartes' Comedy. I believed that through
Descartes' successes he had not lived a full life and, as written in Ree, that he
had died in a land who does not understand his ideas. It is not funny but the twist
and turns of his life, Descartes choice to sell his fortune for a solitary life of
thinking of a new science had indeed aided the philosophical community and
made him the father of modern philosophy but had made his life difficult and sad
writer, although he had envisioned creating a new science (for the world to
revere him and to applaud his choice of leaving his life behind for a fresh start)
he was not in a hurry. He envisioned that when he was 24 and he had not
published an article until he was 40. He was being laughed at by the scientific
community for the vision he had and the years it took him to do a treatise.
Descartes had some defense to that since his previous style was not able
to accept changes and new thoughts he has generated thus he had to start all
impersonal" style in his mode of writing thus disabling him to change his ways as
he moves along. This has prompted him to change his style which will more
adopt his ever changing ideas and adopt his new ideas as well. He probably had
entertained changes (in a story-telling way) and the work had a little to do with
the authorial responsibility for criticisms since the fictional character will be most
likely not associated with the author. Add up the effect and the wide audience
that have liked Montaigne's work, Descartes had found a way in which he could
now write.
Descartes used narrative devices in which the narrator is obtrusive in
every paragraph, creating an "I" which is an idea of the past which the story in
based on, and an narrator "I" which had wisdom of afterthought (unlike
published Discourse, he had welcomed the reading and literate public into his
thoughts (by writing in French his fictional autobiography). Although his style was
similar to Montaigne's he wanted to distance himself and thus attacked the mode
clearer mode of writing which was organizing the essays into chapter based on
categories unlike Montaigne's informal and jumbled work. And instead of being
start of his thinking (and doubting), roaming and staying in Holland and his work
in the natural sciences. On the sixth chapter, Descartes breaks the wall and the
Descartes secrets likie what he can and cannot achieve in the sciences and his
eluding his "totally new science". But the autobiographical form provided what
only the author wanted to appear, appealing to the readers to judge him from the
intellects" who had criticized his apparent anonymous work in Discourse) which
were a little more similar to Montaigne's essays and which style was more of a
diary than a formal autobiography. The diary had an effect of letting the reader
judge the author freely since the passing by thoughts will depict who the author
really is. Descartes had used the diary form as to evade again criticisms since
the diary is spontaneous ,more of feelings rather that thoughts which cannot be
attended under St. Ignatius) wherein he had dumped his thoughts and worries
and doubts on the paper so as to diminish his "devotion to his beliefs" (as similar
to the retreat to unburden their faults from their conscience in order for the lapses
against the so called common sense. Descartes also wrote that "All the various
a clamor in the "new science". Meditations was denied by Descartes having been
his own thoughts. (He was always distancing himself to avoid criticism) but he
similar hand. First, they represent only a part of Descartes ideas, may be a
former idea but guided by a wiser narrator (in Discourse). Second, as being
effect to its readers in the summation which is the last chapter of the book. The
first chapters represent unstable truths and foundations which then lead to a
more plausible conclusion. Third, the two books only show what is not yet known
and what is known now, he tries to avoid being preachy and only concludes
morals and rectification of errors in the last chapter. Lastly, the books contained
are cleverly designated. It was told that in Meditations, one day or one chapter
took him one year to create, it was probably hard infusing an element of fiction in
someone's past in order to prove a point which is free from "common sense". (I
think Descartes was really ambitious to want to start from tabula rasa to "create a
knowledge" for we are all but tainted and formed in a certain mould in order to
survive)
critics who have well misunderstood him and read only the first chapters on his
books and not even reaching the last one which really contained his points. The
would like to achieve in philosophy and wanting to reach the people creatively
(through his different style in writing), he really did achieve and is now a pillar of
Philosophy. His literary style endeared him to the readers and to critics as well,
opposed to philosophers who were very straightforward and analytic and wishing
to never bump into the "poetical confusion". Descartes welcome the artistic trend
and embraces his thoughts into it for it complimented his ever changing mind
style. I even believe that analytical philosophers even though they hate literature
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