The Structure of Cartesian Sensations The Structure of Cartesian Sensations.

The article discusses Raffaella De Rosa's approach to Rene Descartes' strategy which is to have the intentionality of a sensation secured by an idea of extension while the phenomenal content of a sensation is explained by its being causally related to the object of sensation. The discussion is restricted to the second grade of sensation and cites De Rosa's contention that Cartesian sensations are almost always fusions of an extensive, spatial element and an element distinctive to the 5 senses.