Selection From The Principles Of Philosophy — Rene Descartes

Sir The version of my principles which you have been at pains to make is so elegant and finished as to lead me to expect that the work will be more generally read in French than in Latin and better understood The only apprehension I entertain is lest the title should deter some who have not been brought up to letters or with whom philosophy is in bad repute because the kind they were taught has proved unsatisfactory and this makes me think that it will be useful to add a preface to it for the purpose of showing what the Matter of the work is what END I had in view in writing it and what Utilitymay be derived from it But although it might be my part to write a preface of this nature seeing I ought to know those particulars better than any other person I cannot nevertheless prevail upon myself to do anything more than merely to give a summary of the chief points that fall as I think to be discussed in it and I leave it to your discretion to present to the public such part of them as you shall judge proper

I should in the next place have proposed to consider the utility of philosophy and at the same time have shown that since it embraces all that the human mind can know we ought to believe that it is by it we are distinguished from savages and barbarians and that the civilisation and culture of a nation is regulated by the degree in which true philosophy nourishes in it and accordingly that to contain true philosophers is the highest privilege a state can enjoy Besides this I should have shown that as regards individuals it is not only useful for each man to have intercourse with those who apply themselves to this study but that it is incomparably better he should himself direct his attention to it just as it is doubtless to be preferred that a man should make use of his own eyes to direct his steps and enjoy by means of the same the beauties of colour and light than that he should blindly follow the guidance of another though the latter course is certainly better than to have the eyes closed with no guide except ones self