But when Descartes wishes not to characterise madness, but to affirm that I should not take my example from the mad, he employs the terms demens and amens, terms that are legal before being medical, and which designate a whole category of people who are incapable of certain religious, civil and legal acts; the dementes do not have all their rights in matters of speaking, promising, committing themselves, signing, bringing legal actions, etc.