Lichtenberg’s Point

In: Grazer Philosophische Studien
Author: Boris Hennig 1
View More View Less
  • 1
Online Publication Date:
02 May 2018
In:
Volume 95: Issue 2
Article Type:
Research Article
Page Count:
265–286
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1163/18756735-000040
Keywords:
Descartes; Lichtenberg; cogito argument; res cogitans

The author argues that when Lichtenberg recommends saying “It is thinking” instead of “I am thinking”, he is not suggesting that thought might be a subjectless occurrence. Lichtenberg’s point is, rather, that we are often the passive subject or medium of our thoughts. The author further argues that Descartes’ cogito argument is not affected by this point, because Descartes does not claim that we must be the active subject of all our thoughts. Moreover, the author suggests that the cogito argument operates with the notion of a qua-object: it consists in the move from “I am thinking” to “I-qua-thinking am”. Seen in this way, the cogito argument by itself leaves entirely open what might be true of me insofar as I am not thinking.

In:
Grazer Philosophische Studien
E-ISSN:
1875-6735
Print ISSN:
0165-9227
Publisher:
Brill | Rodopi
Cover Grazer Philosophische Studien
Subjects:
General, Philosophy

  • Alanen Lilli 2016. “Self-Awareness and Cognitive Agency in Descartes’s Meditations”. Philosophical Topics 44(1), 3–26.

  • Almog Joseph 2002. What am I?: Descartes and the Mind-Body Problem. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

  • Bäck Allan 1996. On Reduplication: Logical Theories of Qualification. Leiden: Brill.

  • Brown Deborah 2014. “The Sixth Meditation: Descartes and the Embodied Self”. In: The Cambridge Companion to Descartes’ Meditations . Edited by Cunning David . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 240–257.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Burge Tyler 2000. “Reason and the First Person”. In: Knowing Our Own Minds. Edited by Wright Crispin , Smith Barry C. , and MacDonald Cynthia . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 243–270.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Campbell John 2012. “Lichtenberg and the Cogito”. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 112(3), 361–378.

  • Carriero John 2009. Between Two Worlds: A Reading of Descartes’ Meditations. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

  • Chisholm Roderick 1969. “On the Observability of the Self”. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 30(1), 7–21.

  • Code Alan 1976. “Aristotle’s Response to Quine’s Objections to Modal Logic”. Journal of Philosophical Logic 5(2), 159–186.

  • Cohen S. Marc 2008. “Kooky Objects Revisited: Aristotle’s Ontology”. Metaphilosophy 39(1), 3–19.

  • Cottingham John 1992. “Cartesian Dualism: Theology, Metaphysics, and Science”. In: Cambridge Companion to Descartes. Edited by Cottingham John . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 236–257.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Descartes René 1996. Oeuvres de Descartes, 11 vols., edited by Adam Charles and Tannery Paul (= AT). Paris: Librairie Philosophique J. Vrin.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Descartes René 1988. The Philosophical Writings of Descartes, translated by Cottingham John , Stoothoff Robert , Murdoch Dugald , and Kenny Anthony (= CSM; vol. III = CSMK). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Fine Kit 2005. Modality and Tense. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

  • Grimm Jacob and Wilhelm 1854–1961. Deutsches Wörterbuch. Leipzig: Hirzel.

  • Gupta Anil 1980. The Logic of Common Nouns. New Haven: Yale University Press.

  • Hatfield Gary 2014. The Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Descartes’ Meditations. London: Routledge.

  • Hennig Boris 2006. Conscientia bei Descartes. Freiburg: Alber Verlag.

  • Hennig Boris 2011. “‘Insofar as’ in Descartes’ Definition of Thought”. Studia Leibnitiana 43(2), 145–159.

  • Hintikka Jaakko 1996. “Cogito, ergo quis est?” Revue Internationale de Philosophie 50(195), 5–21.

  • Hoffman Paul 1986. “The Unity of Descartes’s Man”. The Philosophical Review 95(3), 339–370.

  • Hume David 2000. A Treatise of Human Nature, edited by Norton David Fate and Norton Mary J. . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

  • Lewis Frank A. 1982. “Accidental Sameness in Aristotle”. Philosophical Studies 42(1), 1–36.

  • Lichtenberg Georg Christoph 1994. Schriften und Briefe, edited by Promies Wolfgang . Frankfurt: Zweitausendeins.

  • Matthen Mohan 1983. “Greek Ontology and the ‘is’ of Truth”. Phronesis 28(2), 113–135.

  • Matthews Gareth 1982. “Accidental Unities”. In: Language and Logos. Edited by Schofield Malcolm and Nussbaum Martha C. . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 223–240.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Mautner Franz H. 1968. Lichtenberg: Geschichte seines Geistes. Berlin: De Gruyter.

  • Menn Stephen 1998. Descartes and Augustine. Cambridge University Press.

  • Peacocke Christopher 2012. “Subjects and consciousness”. In: The Self and Self-Knowledge. Edited by Coliva Annalisa . Oxford University Press, 74–101.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Russell Bertrand 1967. History of Western Philosophy. New York: Touchstone.

  • Simmons Alison 2012. “Cartesian Consciousness Reconsidered”. Philosophers’ Imprint 12(2), 1–21.

  • Tester Steven 2013. “G.C. Lichtenberg on Self-Consciousness and Personal Identity”. Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie 95(3), 336–359.

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Vender David . Lichtenberg’s Flash of Insight. Manuscript published via academia.edu (https://www.academia.edu/2369021/Lichtenberg_s_Flash_of_Insight).

    • Search Google Scholar
    • Export Citation

  • Williams Bernard 2005. Descartes: The Project of Pure Inquiry. London: Routledge.

  • Zöller Günter 1992. “Lichtenberg and Kant on the Subject of Thinking”. Journal of the History of Philosophy 30(3), 417–441.

Content Metrics

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 142 113 19
Full Text Views 143 9 0
PDF Downloads 25 16 1