| In the Synopsis of Meditations on First Philosophy Descartes claims that he will develop a clear and distinct perception of extension "partly in the Second Meditation, and partly in the Fifth and Sixth Meditations (CSM II p. 9)." Unfortunately, many commentators completely ignore this explicit declaration of Descartes's goal of developing a clear and distinct perception of extension over the course of the three aforementioned Meditations. This leads to serious interpretive errors. In this thesis I argue that it is important to take Descartes at his word in the Synopsis. I also argue that doing so requires one to adopt a particular interpretive approach, which I contend is preferable to the alternatives. Finally, I offer a model for understanding Descartes's development of an enduring, indubitable clear and distinct perception of extension in the Meditations. |
