The Question of Substance in Descartes from the Existential and Formally-Ontological Perspective Cover Image

Egzystencjalna i formalno-ontologiczna problematyka substancji u Descartesa
The Question of Substance in Descartes from the Existential and Formally-Ontological Perspective

Author(s): Karol Tarnowski
Subject(s): Metaphysics, Early Modern Philosophy, Ontology
Published by: Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk
Keywords: Substance; Descartes; Ingarden; formal ontology; existential ontology;

Summary/Abstract: The article is an attempt to analysis the ontological aspects of Descartes’ philosophy in the light of the existential and formal ontology of Roman Ingarden. Descartes resolves the philosophical problem of what is real by introducing the notion of substance. The substance is the keystone of Descartes’ philosophy functioning at different levels of his thought and being an attempt to connect the existence of the real and the ideal. The problem of substance includes existential issues, where the substance is treated as category, and formal-ontological ones, where the substance acts as a categorical quasi-nature, used to distinguish the different fields of reality. Substance as a category is characterized by (a) gradual, ontical self-sufficiency; (b) independence, which is associated with a property of exclusion, (c) ontical durability, and finally is treated as (d) existing thing (res existens). Secondly, the notion of the substance as being the subject of properties (hypokeimenon) leads to distinguish it as a quasi-constitutive nature, which is then considered in each of three types of substances: God, res cogitans and res extensa.

  • Issue Year: 62/2017
  • Issue No: 62supl.
  • Page Range: 181-208
  • Page Count: 28
  • Language: Polish