In the whole history of western thought, there is only one man of whom it can be said that all philosophy after him was differen

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问题    In the whole history of western thought, there is only one man of whom it can be said that all philosophy after him was different because of him. That man is Rene Descartes (1596-1650), the great French mathematician, physicist, physiologist, and philosopher who flourished during the first part of the seventeenth century. 【F1】The most influential of his many writings were Meditations, in which he posed the fundamental question that was to haunt all subsequent thinkers to this very day. Like all profound questions, it is deceptively simple in appearance: Is there anything of which I can be certain?
   To be sure, philosophers had before Descartes asked, What can we know? They had even asked, What can we know with certainty? But Descartes asked, What can I know with certainty? And therein lies a revolution in thought. All of us proceed from day to day accepting all manner of propositions which we could not prove if challenged. I believe that the earth is a sphere, that matter is composed of atoms, etc. 【F2】I don’t imagine I could do a very good job of proving all these beliefs to someone who really doubted them, but I take it for granted that someone could—a physicist or biologist or geographer. 【F3】Suppose now, just as an exercise, that I put a little "doubtful" tag on every one of my beliefs which I can’t absolutely prove with perfect certainty. Suppose, in other words, that I clear away the superstructure of my everyday beliefs and get down to real base. What do I find? What do all these beliefs rest on? This is what Descartes sets out to do in the First Meditation. It doesn’t seem a terribly risky or exciting task, but as we follow Descartes, we begin to get more and more nervous. 【F4】Slowly at first and then faster and faster, he shows us that every one of our comfortable, familiar beliefs has to be put in the "doubtful" pile. As we dig for base, we find only shifting sand. Our whole world of beliefs seems to rest on nothing at all.
   In the Second Meditation, Descartes discovers his solid base, his immovable point:"I think." Doubt what you will, you cannot doubt that. And so long as I think, I who think must exist. Here at last we have found our certainty. 【F5】The absolute ground of all knowledge has been located, not in God, not in Nature, not in the wisdom of the ancients, but in the sheer existence of myself.
【F3】

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答案现在不妨演示一下,假设我给自己没有十足把握去证明的信条贴上“怀疑”的小标签。

解析 ①本句是复合句。主句是祈使句,主干是suppose+that从句,that引导从句作suppose的宾语,说明假设的内容。just as an exercise作为插入语说明假定做一个试验。②句末which引导的定语从句修饰先行词beliefs,说明“我”对证明这一想法没有十足的把握。
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