The Consciousness of Being Alive as a Source of Knowledge

This paper addresses the question whether our consciousness of being alive could be a source of knowledge, and if so of what kind of knowledge. It does so by means of a few exemplary analyses of approaches by early modern philosophers.

Departing from a discussion of Descartes’ approach, it shows that, historically, the interest in the notion that we are immediately aware of our being alive arose in reaction to Descartes dualism. Considering, next, the Cartesian Louis de La Forge, it shows that La Forge was apparently aware of there being a problem in Descartes. However, given La Forge’s approach was even more radically dualist then Descartes’, he could not really solve the problem. It is against this background that it then discusses Spinoza’s early attempts at refuting Cartesian scepticism upon the role that our consciousness of being alive plays in it. Altogether it argues that our consciousness can be considered a source of knowledge, however simple the lessons conveyed by it, may appear.