Classification of thoughts.
     a thought= anything that is in the mind
          this is a definition

What the mind does, its activity, is to think
To feel sensation, or desire something- this for Descartes is to have a thought of a certain sort
a thought of pain, for example

I perceive, doubt, imagine, think
     and we need to sort out these activities

2 crucial themes in the third Meditation

1. relation between ideas and what they are of
     this connects mind to world
     (Descartes' dualism)
     from idea of x, we cannot infer: x exists

2. The special idea, the idea of God
     In general having an idea doesn't say anything about whether what it is an idea of exists
     But case of God is special

Ideas as representations

Ideas are connected with things
     Common sense: I have an idea of the wax because I see it
i.e. because the wax causes the idea in my mind

But at this point, Descartes cannot accept this obvious view
     he doesn't yet know that the external world exists

Do Ideas match things?
Cartesian dualism means: what exists are both idea of physical thing, and that thing

Skepticism says: they are dissimilar, for knowing an idea tells us nothing about what it is idea of, or even that it exists

Ideas as Representations

Definition. Idea = any mental state
     this a special sense of word
     not everyday usage

To be in pain, or desire an apple is to have an idea of pain, or of the apple

I can just think of an apple, I can want to eat it
     in the later case, I must have a different idea

Compare two mental states:
     1. idea of apple
     2. idea of apple + idea of desire to eat something

Are ideas true
     i. e. true to the world
          do they correspond to what is outside mind

Descartes gives two Arguments

1. Nature teaches me.
     this nature not light of nature, but ? experience
     is this view not vulnerable to skepticism?
          Descartes does not deal with this (obvious) question

2. Ideas come involuntarily, and so nature teaches me they are valid

Hobbes' Objection

"When I think of an angel, what comes into my mind is the image sometimes of a flame, sometimes of a fair winged child; and I feel certain that this has no likeness to an angel, and is thus not an idea of an angel. Similarly, the sacred name of God gives us no image or idea of God.... We are forbidden to adore God in an image...."

Descartes' reply

"I take the term idea to stand for whatever the mind is directly aware of.... Thus I count volition and fear among ideas."