Key terms and concepts

I’ve always liked Bennett’s version of Hume; I’ve never been so keen on his version of Descartes. The SQA’s choice of Bennett’s translation of the Principles to illustrate what is meant by clear and distinct perception is problematic.

In the Course Specification we are told, ‘Candidates should know what is meant by clear and distinct ideas. Teachers and lecturers can best explain this by drawing on Descartes’ explanation in the Principles.’(p20) Unfortunately, later (p75), we are given a translation that doesn’t use the word ‘distinct’! 

Indeed, it is worse than this.

Cottingham’s translation says:

‘I call a perception ‘clear’ when it is present and accessible to the attentive mind ... I call a perception ‘distinct’ if, as well as being clear, it is so sharply separated from all other perceptions that it contains within itself only what is clear.’

Bennett’s translation says:

‘I call a perception ‘vivid’ when it is present and accessible to the attentive mind ... I call a perception ‘clear’ if, as well as being vivid, it is so sharply separated from all other perceptions that every part of it is vivid.’

So Bennett not only uses ‘vivid’ when Cottingham uses ‘clear’ but uses ‘clear’ when Cottingham uses ‘distinct’.  To be fair to Bennett he does defend his translation but at the same time admits that ‘every other English translation, and ... all the Descartes scholars who write in English’ use the other translation.

The next time there is a question asking ‘What does Descartes mean by clear and distinct perception?’ the MIs will make interesting reading.