French Philosogy, Western Philosophy & Psychology

19th Dinner – Descartes’ Passions of the Soul

Gilles

Descartes defined six “Passions of the Soul” but by soul, he meant the mind: Wonder, Love, Hatred, Joy, Sadness, and Desire. He saw the mind as a judge for the body, guiding it towards things perceived as good. However, our past experiences and culture shape our judgments and provoke our passions, leading us to make mistakes in our pursuit of virtue. True knowledge avoids errors, but our interpretations based on our past experiences cloud our judgment.

The Invited Philosophers Gilles & Fred This was the 19th dinner, at my house, and because Gilles missed the Tertulia and everybody loved the grilled Shawarma chicken, I repeated the menu for this event. Menu Appetizers: Rice crackers and pita chips with spinach and artichoke cream. Main course: Grilled chicken shawarma, Moroccan couscous, tzatziki sauce, and mixed green salad. Desserts: Pastries from a Portuguese bakery (Courtesy of G&F). Drinks: Champagne Ernest Rapeneau (Courtesy of G&F) and Maison Barboulot Cabernet-Syrah. The Philosophy René Descartes (1596–1650) defined his philosophy of the “Passions

of the Soul” with the help of his pen pal and fellow philosopher Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia. It is important to note that by "soul" Descartes meant the "mind". According to Descartes, sensations, appetites, and passions have a practical functionality: to act as guides for maneuvering our bodies through the world, and ultimately for preserving the mind-body union that constitutes the human being. Elisabeth and Descartes discuss how such metaphysically disparate things as mind and body can act on each other, and by 1645, their discussion shifts to whether the…

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French Philosogy, Western Philosophy & Psychology

3rd Dinner – Sartre’s Being and Nothingness

Gilles & Pedro

Sartre's Being and Nothingness contrasts hell and freedom by looking at human's essence and existence. Humans' need "to be something" causes hell on earth. The objectification of humans comes through the judgement of others or their own judgements of themselves, through roles and identities. Freedom, he argues, is to be nothing, to just exist.

The Invited Philosophers Gilles & Pedro The Menu First Course: Mediterranean salmon with dill and Za’atar sauce, couscous and oven-baked green beans Second Course: Cheese plate with multi-grain sourdough bread and crackers Dessert: Gilles Signature Almond Cake* Drinks: French Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Wine* *Courtesy of Gilles & Pedro The Philosophy Sartre’s Being and Nothingness is not an easy read but it is fascinating. The French edition of the book has 822 pages in small font. Gilles and Pedro did their homework when they came to dinner and taught me, through

our conversation, a lot of the nuances of L'Être et le Néant. Gilles, who is French, recounted how in France, philosophy is a required high school course. He accomplished a great feat by finding a French podcast, which summarizes the book with refreshing clarity and at times humor, and as the icing on the cake, we also hear Sartre himself speak. The Summary Our world is made of objects that are something based on their function or beingness. Most humans are objects too. The function of a phone, desk, car,…

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