Abstract

U tekstu se traga za vezom između Descartesovih životnih obrata i razloga zbog kojih filozof u Raspravi o metodi i Meditacijama o prvoj filozofiji primjenjuje ispovjednički način pisanja. Takvo nastojanje otkriva posebnu ulogu maske pod kojom se Descartes namjerava prvi put pojaviti pred javnošću. Iako masku spominje još u dnevničkim bilješkama, on je konačno oblikuje, i to kao ‘osobu’, tek s otkrićem cogito, dakle, u vrijeme dok piše Raspravu o metodi. U tom mu djelu ‘osoba’, shvaćena kao čist razum, daje mogućnost svoje filozofsko preobraćanje ispovijediti kao obrazac intelektualnog preobražaja čovječanstva, čime se njegova ispovijest pretvara u propovijed. U Meditacijama, međutim, Descartes ide korak dalje. Njegova vještina služenja maskom, te njegovo iskustvo koje je u snovima imao sa zloduhom i Bogom, dovode ga do toga da se u ovom spisu pojavljuje kao glumac sa tri lika: kao »ja«, kao zli genije i kao istinoljubivi Bog. Iza sva tri lika, naravno, stoji Descartesov ratio; ali bitno je primijetiti da zloduh nije samo maska kojom filozof prikriva grijeh skeptičke aktivnosti u koju uvlači čitaoca. Na osnovu Descartesovih snova može se tvrditi da postoji još jedan zloduh u Meditacijama, ovoga puta stvarni, koji stoji nasuprot meditirajućem subjektu. Taj je oličenje općeprihvaćenih stavova, predrasudnog mišljenja i lijenosti ljudskog uma.The text explores the connection between Descartes’ life conversions and the reason why in the Discourse on the Method and Meditations on First Philosophy he utilizes a confessional tone to his writing. Such an endeavour exposes a specific role of the mask under which the philosopher intends to present himself to the public for the first time. Although the mask is already mentioned in his Private thoughts, Descartes gives it a form of persona only after the discovery of cogito, as he is writing the Discourse. The mask of persona, conceived as a pure reason, allows him to confess his philosophical conversions as a paradigm of intellectual conversion of humanity, transforming his confession into a sermon. However, in the Meditations, Descartes takes a step further. His ability to utilize the mask, combined with his experience in dreams with a malicious demon and God, enable him to appear in this work as a multi-faced actor: as »I«, as a malicious genius and as a truthful God. Behind all three masks is evidently Descartes’ ratio, however it is important to recognize that the malicious genius is not only the mask the philosopher uses to hide the sins of the sceptical activity in which he involves the reader. On the basis of Descartes’ dreams, we can argue that there is one more malicious genius in the Meditations, this time a real one, standing opposite the meditating subject. This one is the embodiment of widely accepted opinions, prejudices and laziness of human intellect