From this place of doubt, Descartes comes to the conclusion that he has no senses and that body, form, extension, movement, and place are fabrications. This philosophy leaves one wondering if they too don't exist despite being surrounded by things that don't seem to exist. Descartes addresses this wonder with the fact that the mere perception of one's existence in turn proves the existence of one's mind. Following this idea, one can conclude that the only aspect of ourselves that definitely exists is our mind. In a society where the physical body is what determines existence and being, one wonders what they are. This wonder led Descartes to the idea of mind and body and how they coexist. Determine that the body is defined as a physical thing and the mind is defined as a thinking thing. Taking into account the previous meditation on the senses and dreams, Descartes determines that the body is almost irrelevant when it comes to observing reality because it relies exclusively on the senses. Thus leaving thought as the only thing inseparable from itself and therefore the only thing that determines existence. “If I totally ceased to think, I would totally cease to exist.” (Descartes, 18). This philosophy leads Descartes to the conclusion that one is only a thinking thing, defined as a thing that doubts, understands, affirms, is willing, does not want, and also imagines and has sensory perceptions. The idea that we are just thinking things completely disproves the thought that we can only exist in reality. Descartes says: “My mind loves to wander and does not yet submit to being held within the limits of truth.” (Descartes, 20). If our thoughts and therefore existence can
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