may be I myself am capable of producing them? Am I, then, at leastnot something? But I before denied that I possessed senses or a body; I hesitate, however, for whatfollows from that? Am I so dependent on the body and the senses that without these I cannot exist?But I had the persuasion that there was absolutely nothing in the world, that there was no sky and noearth, neither minds nor bodies; was I not, therefore, at the same time, persuaded that I did not exist?Far from it; I assuredly existed, since I was persuaded. But there is I know not what being, who ispossessed at once of the highest power and the deepest cunning, who is constantly employing all hisingenuity in deceiving me. Doubtless, then, I exist, since I am deceived; and, let him deceive me as hemay, he can never bring it about that I am nothing, so long as I shall be conscious that I amsomething. So that it must, in fine, be maintained, all things being maturely and carefully considered,that this proposition (pronunciatum ) I am, I exist, is necessarily true each time it is expressed by me,or conceived in my mind.[ L][ F]4. But I do not yet know with sufficient clearness what I am, though assured that I am; and hence, inthe next place, I must take care, lest perchance I inconsiderately substitute some other object in roomof what is properly myself, and thus wander from truth, even in that knowledge ( cognition ) which Ihold to be of all others the most certain and evident. For this reason, I will now consider anew what Iformerly believed myself to be, before I entered on the present train of thought; and of my previousopinion I will retrench all that can in the least be invalidated by the grounds of doubt I have adduced, inorder that there may at length remain nothing but what is certain and indubitable. [ L][ F]5. What then did I formerly think I was ? Undoubtedly I judged that I was a man. But what is a man ?Shall I say a rational animal ? Assuredly not; for it would be...
