Funny Philosophers I

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I'm reading Schellings's On the History of Modern Philosophy -- yeah, at the same time as Southwood (see post below), and Strauss -- I'm working my way through the S's right now. Next week, on to Tarski, Tolstoy, and Thucydides.

Schelling is discussing how Descartes's "doubting everything" never really went as deep as Rene claimed it did. When Descartes discussed why we really can't be certain about our sensation of having a body, he notes people he knew who had lost a limb but still felt sensation in it (ghost limbs). Schelling wryly notes, 'it seemed reasonable to reflect that such persons only felt pain in limbs which they once had, and there is no example of anyone who felt pains in limbs which they never had.'

I'll see what Tarski jokes I can come up with for you.

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