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Descartes and the Enlightenment |
eBook Available
Peter Schouls examines the role played by the concepts of freedom, mastery, and progress in Descartes' writings, arguing that these ideas express a vital and fundamental feature of Descartes' thought. These theories also occupy a central position in the thought of the Enlightenment. Since the more contentious claim is that they function centrally in Descartes' works, Schouls presents a careful and detailed examination of the conjunction and use of these ideas in Descartes' writings. This examination warrants the conclusion that they play the same role in Descartes' works as they do in writings typical of the Enlightenment.
Schouls limits himself to a discussion of these three concepts in order to escape facile and vague generalizations. For the same reason, in relating Descartes to eighteenth-century thinkers, Schouls limits his attention to a single part of the spectrum of acknowledged Enlightenment reflection, the French "philosopes." From their writings he demonstrates that they are, and acknowledge themselves to be, Descartes' progeny.
Schouls limits himself to a discussion of these three concepts in order to escape facile and vague generalizations. For the same reason, in relating Descartes to eighteenth-century thinkers, Schouls limits his attention to a single part of the spectrum of acknowledged Enlightenment reflection, the French "philosopes." From their writings he demonstrates that they are, and acknowledge themselves to be, Descartes' progeny.
Details
Part of the McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Ideas Series (number 13 in series)
216 Pages
ISBN 9780773510142
February 1989
Formats: Cloth, eBook
"elegantly conceived and executed and puts forward an interesting, novel, and well substantiated thesis...will be found valuable by philosophers and historians of thought of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and of course, by Cartesian scholars." Peter Jones, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Edinburgh
"a genuine contribution to the field. Throughout, the author is careful, balanced, and interesting." Mark Glouberman, Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia
"a genuine contribution to the field. Throughout, the author is careful, balanced, and interesting." Mark Glouberman, Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia
Peter A. Schouls is a member of the Department of Philosophy, University of Alberta
9780773544000
$125.00 CAD
Cloth
