Fourth Meditation

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Fourth Meditation is a section of René Descartes’ *Meditations on First Philosophy* in which he examines the nature of human error and the relationship between the intellect and the will.

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Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf chapter of a philosophical work
philosophical text section
addressesQuestion How can error exist if humans are created by a perfect and non-deceptive God?
alternativeTitle Fourth Meditation
surface form: Fourth Meditation: Of the True and the False
arguesAgainst the idea that God is a deceiver
author René Descartes
centralConcept divine perfection
finite understanding
freedom of the will
intellect
judgment
privation
will
claims clear and distinct perceptions are guaranteed by God to be true
error arises from the misuse of free will
error does not come from God
error occurs when the will assents beyond what the intellect clearly and distinctly perceives
human imperfection explains the possibility of error
humans are intermediate between God and nothingness
suspending judgment prevents error
the will is more extensive than the intellect
discusses the moral responsibility involved in judgment
the scope of human knowledge
explains how error is a privation rather than a positive reality
how human freedom is compatible with divine perfection
follows Third Meditation
genre metaphysical meditation
historicalContext Early modern philosophy
includedIn first edition of Meditations on First Philosophy
influenced epistemology of judgment and assent
subsequent discussions of free will and error in modern philosophy
language Latin
mainTheme nature of human error
problem of error in a world created by a perfect God
relationship between intellect and will
originalTitle Meditatio Quarta
partOf Meditations on First Philosophy
philosophicalDomain epistemology
philosophy of mind
philosophy of religion
philosophicalTradition Rationalism
precedes Fifth Meditation
publicationDate 1641
setsUp later Cartesian account of science based on clear and distinct ideas
supports the epistemic rule to assent only to clear and distinct perceptions
workDate 1640

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Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Meditations on First Philosophy hasPart Fourth Meditation
Third Meditation precedes Fourth Meditation
Fourth Meditation alternativeTitle Fourth Meditation
this entity surface form: Fourth Meditation: Of the True and the False
Fifth Meditation follows Fourth Meditation
Fifth Meditation relatedWork Fourth Meditation