“我思，故我在。”西方近代哲学之父笛卡尔以这一经典命题表明了与前此的传统哲学决裂，阐扬天赋观念论和理性至上论。笛卡尔的“我思”具有鲜明的怀疑、否定、判断的内容，尤其强调以怀疑、否定的精神将“历来信以为真的一切见解统统清除出去，再从根本上重新开始”。这就撼动了自中世纪以来经院哲学神圣不可侵犯的地位，从而在欧陆引发一场理性主义思潮，宣告了启蒙时代的到来。

大陆理性主义的另一位代表人物斯宾诺莎确信哲学也可以像几何推理一般以简洁、明晰的语言来表述；他认为哲学的目的和终结即是伦理学，亦即求得人类最高的善和最大的福祉，因而，他把这部贡献了一生精力的著作命名为《伦理学》。

MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY

INTRODUCTION

PREFACE TO THE READER

SYNOPSIS OF THE SIX FOLLOWING MEDITATIONS

MEDITATION I OF THE THINGS OF WHICH WE

MAY DOUBT

MEDITATION II OF THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN

MIND; AND THAT IT IS MORE EASILY KNOWN

THAN THE BODY

MEDITATION III OF GOD: THAT HE EXISTS

MEDITATION IV OF TRUTH AND ERROR

MEDITATION V OF THE ESSENCE OF

MATERIAL THINGS; AND, AGAIN, OF GOD;

THAT HE EXISTS

MEDITATION VI OF THE EXISTENCE OF MATERIAL

THINGS,AND OF THE REAL DISTINCTION

BETWEEN THE MIND AND BODY OF MAN

PART I CONCERNING GOD

PART II OF THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF

THE MIND

PART III ON THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF

THE EMOTIONS

PARTIV OF HUMAN BONDAGE OR THE STRENGTH OF THE EMOTIONS

PART V ON THE POWER OF THE UNDERSTANDING,OR OF HUMAN