The Concept of a Person

Two arguments about the self are being given.

1. I think "I exist" : therefore an enduring being exists

2. I think "I exist": therefore a being with all my mental activities exists.

Both inferences from arguments about the cogito are highly problematic

I am thinking now
     why does that show: I will exist forever?
     how could it?

I am thinking
     why does that show: my mind with all my powers exists

Reply: What Descartes seems to think is that only a being with properties mentioned in 1, 2 above can make statements
     Not, say, someone who just makes isolated statement

Why ?
     here I spell out Descartes' purpose in a way he doesn't
Cogito argument really is an argument about persons
     and D believes that persons are substances. they exist forever

Activities of a thinking being (see Perry/Bratman, 120 left column):

Doubting, understanding, affirimg, denying, willing, refusing, imagining, sensing

The soul can do all of these things.

Imagination not part of my nature

Now we have the link back to lst Med.
     Imagination is untrustworthy