Confidence Quote by René Descartes
““By intuition I mean, not the wavering assurance of the senses, or the deceitful judgment of a misconstructed imagination, but a conception, formed by unclouded mental attention, so easy and distinct as to leave no room for doubt in regard to the thing we are understanding.””
About This Quote
Source Treatise: Meditations on First Philosophy, 1641, philosophy
Intuition is a clear, distinct mental perception free from doubt, unlike sensory or imaginative judgments.
In simple terms: Intuition is clear, doubt‑free understanding.
Key Takeaway
Trust clear mental insight.
Themes
epistemology
intuition
clarity
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
academic
When to use this quote
- philosophical reasoning
- critical thinking
- scientific method
Key Concepts
skepticism
sensory illusion
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you distinguish intuition from imagination?
- When is intuition reliable?
A Different Perspective
Intuition may be biased.
![“I extend the horizon of the senses by the imagination; … this conception … exalts me above the limited standpoint of the senses, … affects me agreeably, I posit [it] as a divine reality. … [I]t would be impossible for me to predicate omniscience of an object or being external to myself, if this…” quote by Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/745/ludwig-feuerbach-3406_imagination_i-extend-the-horizon-of-the-senses-by-th_1013947.jpg)
![“Crucial decisions are made, today as thousands of years ago, in terms of the intuitive guesses and preferences of a few men in positions of authority...[it is] quite likely that the fate of entire societies may be sealed by a series of avoidable mistakes committed by their leaders.” quote by Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a59/michael-lewis-705_decision-making_crucial-decisions-are-made-today-as-thou_16888.jpg)
![“[About Pierre de Fermat] It cannot be denied that he has had many exceptional ideas, and that he is a highly intelligent man. For my part, however, I have always been taught to take a broad overview of things, in order to be able to deduce from them general rules, which might be applicable…” quote by Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/588/ren-descartes-1376_able_about-pierre-de-fermat-it-cannot-be-deni_89929.jpg)
![“And what more am I? I look for aid to the imagination. [But how mistakenly!] I am not that assemblage of limbs we call the human body; I am not a subtle penetrating air distributed throughout all these members; I am not a wind, a fire, a vapor, a breath or anything at all that I can image. I am…” quote by René Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/207/ren-descartes-1376_human-body_and-what-more-am-i-i-look-for-aid-to-the_115493.jpg)
