Philosophy

Philosophy

Infinity in Descartes' Philosophy

Document Type : Scientific-research

Author
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Generally, Descartes is considered a philosopher who played a significant role in the foundation of modern philosophy and is also regarded as the one who paved the way for scientific thinking. Among Descartes' views, his attention to mathematics as a science that entirely contains "certain propositions" is prominent. This attention made him believe in the theory of the unity of sciences with mathematical characteristics. From Descartes' point of view, "measurability," "order," and " deductive method" are the main features of mathematics. He used the term "universal mathematics" for all sciences that benefit from those characteristics. Among his opinions, Descartes' understanding of "infinity" is also different from most scholastic philosophers. He considered infinity as a positive concept that exists in humans and contrasts with the conventional perception; he believed that it is possible to have a perception of the finite from the rejection of the infinite. However, this attitude has faced many challenges up to now. In this article, we will investigate Descartes' theory of infinity and demonstrate that his work was a good start but encompassed theoretical ambiguities that later have been clarified by mathematicians.
Keywords
Subjects

 
Cuttingham, J. (2013). Descartes. Translated by Sayed Mostafa Shahraeyni. Tehran: Ney Publishing. (In Persian)
Descartes, R. (1982). Meditations on first philosophy. Translated by Ahmad Ahmadi. Tehran: University Publishing Center. (In Persian)
----------------- (1985). Philosophical Writings (J. Cottingham, R. Stoothoff, & D. Murdoch, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. Volumes I & II.
------------------(2014). Objections and Replies. Translated by Ali Afzali. Tehran: Scientific and Cultural Publishing. (In Persian)
Russell, B. (1980). Our Knowledge of the External World. Translated by Manouchehr Bozorgmehr. Tehran: Book Translation and Publishing Company. (In Persian)
Shahraeyni, S. M. (2010). Reflections on Descartes' Meditations. Tehran: Ghoghnous Publishing. (In Persian)

  • Receive Date 06 January 2025
  • Revise Date 17 March 2025
  • Accept Date 19 February 2025