- Since I saw that the only assurance of the truth in the statement I think, therefore I am comes from the clear understanding that thinking requires existence, I concluded that I could use the principle that whatever we clearly and distinctly conceive is true. However, I noted that there is some difficulty in accurately identifying what we distinctly conceive.
- And as I observed that in the words I think, hence I am, there is nothing at all which gives me assurance of their truth beyond this, that I see very clearly that in order to think it is necessary to exist, I concluded that I might take, as a general rule, the principle, that all the things which we very clearly and distinctly conceive are true, only observing, however, that there is some difficulty in rightly determining the objects which we distinctly conceive.