 There is no disputing that Descartes characterizes the cogito as the “first item of knowledge [cognitione]” (Med. 3, AT 7:35, CSM 2:24), and as the first “piece of knowledge [cognitio]” (Prin. 1:7, AT 8a:7, CSM 1:195). Noteworthy, however, is the Latin terminology Descartes uses in these characterizations (‘cognitio’ and its cognates). As noted at the outset, Descartes is a contextualist in the sense of invoking the notion of knowledge in divergent contexts that presuppose very different epistemic standards. Of particular interest is that he expressly clarifies that contexts aptly characterized in terms of cognitio-talk do not necessary count as perfect knowledge: