the mind conceives itself
therefore the mind exists
thinking is this awareness
awareness of awareness
and from this to self
self awareness
awareness defines recognizes awareness
this awareness is reflexive
it is self aware
but what do we have here?
awareness of awareness
what follows from this?
only awareness
and this is?
consciousness is what?
it defines itself as itself
again what follows?
awareness is what
- awareness
x is x
we can box it up and call it mind
this is just dressing
awareness is awareness
and self?
- awareness of awareness
is awareness of what?
nothing
in Descartes' argument the I is central - is the issue
and what is the I but awareness of awareness?
he defines himself as a thinking thing
an entity that thinks that knows that it thinks
is there not an argument to say that all he has established
is consciousness
awareness of awareness
and where is the individual identity in this?
the point being that the I that presupposes his argument - for mind -
as awareness of awareness - just is that - awareness of awareness
we can ask - do we have two concepts - an I and mind?
there is but one
and where is the I?
given that I is awareness of awareness
my point is that Descartes has established thinking - and thinking about thinking
but there is no particularity in this
he has not established his own existence
only thinking
awareness of awareness
consciousness
consciousness is awareness of awareness
surely it will be argued that this awareness must be had by something?
possessed
yes this is the given view
and I hold to it
but it doesn't seem to me that anything in Descartes' argument so far entails this view
perhaps consciousness exists as a universal form and particularity of mind is an
illusion?
Descartes' argument in the second meditation for the nature of mind
undercuts his argument for his own existence
