Receptions of Descartes: Cartesianism and Anti-Cartesianism in Early Modern Europe

254 Pages·2005·1.42 MB·English

by  Tad M. Schmaltz

Receptions of Descartes
The French thinker René Descartes (1596–1650) is widely regarded as the father of
modern philosophy and his thought dominated intellectual life in Europe in the century
following his death.
This volume offers original contributions from a group of distinguished scholars on the
prominence of the Descartes-influenced movement, “Cartesianism.” Topics covered
include:
• the French reception of Descartes’s thought;
• the role of Baruch Spinoza (1632–77);
• the lasting legacy of Descartes on philosophy.
This original and insightful volume will find a ready audience among scholars with an
interest in Descartes as well as all serious students of modern philosophy.
Tad M.Schmaltz is Professor of Philosophy at Duke University, USA.
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The Philosophy of Robert Boyle
Peter R.Anstey
Descartes
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Richard Davies
The Philosophy of John Locke
New perspectives
Edited by Peter R.Anstey
Receptions of Descartes
Cartesianism & Anti-Cartesianism in Early Modern Europe
Edited by Tad M.Schmaltz
Receptions of Descartes
Cartesianism and anti-Cartesianism in early modern
Europe
Edited by Tad M.Schmaltz

LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2005
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
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© 2005 Selection and editorial matter, Tad M.Schmaltz,
individual chapters: the contributors.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
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or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
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ISBN 0-203-35666-7 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-68252-1 (OEB Format)
ISBN 0-415-32360-6 (Print Edition)
Contents

Contributors vii
Acknowledgments viii
References and abbreviations ix
Introduction xi

TAD M.SCHMALTZ

PART I The initial reception among women philosophers

1 Women philosophers and the early reception of Descartes: Anne Conway 3
and Princess Elisabeth
SARAH HUTTON

PART II The French reception and French Cartesianism

2 Desgabets’s Indefectibility Thesis—a step too far? 25

PATRICIA EASTION
3 A reception without attachment: Malebranche confronting Cartesian 38
morality
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BARDOUT
4 Huet on the reality of Cartesian doubt 58

THOMAS M.LENNON
5 French Cartesianism in context: the Paris Formulary and Regis’s Usage 73

TAD M.SCHMALTZ

PART III Spinoza and the Dutch reception

6 Descartes’s soul, Spinoza’s mind 90

STEVEN NADLER
7 Wittich’s critique of Spinoza 103

THEO VERBEEK
8 Burchard de Volder: Crypto-Spinozist or disenchanted Cartesian? 117

PAUL LODGE

PART IV The reception in Rome and Naples

9 Cartesian physics and the Eucharist in the documents of the Holy Office 136
and the Roman Index (1671–6)
JEAN-ROBERT ARMOGATHE
10 Images of Descartes in Italy 157

GIULIA BELGIOIOSO

PART V The reception across the Channel

11 Mechanism, skepticism, and witchcraft: More and Glanvill on the failures 183
of the Cartesian philosophy
DOUGLAS JESSEPH
12 Descartes among the British: the case of the theory of vision 200

MARGARET ATHERTON

Bibliography 215
Index 227
Contributors
Jean-Robert Armogathe is Directeur d’études, École Pratique des Hautes Études,
Section des Sciences religieuses, at the Sorbonne in Paris.
Margaret Atherton is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee.
Jean-Christophe Bardout is Maître de Conférences en philosophie at Université de
Brest.
Giulia Belgioioso is Professore ordinavio di storia della filosofia at Università degli Studi
de Lecce and Direttore del Centro Inter-dipartimentale di Studi su Descartes e il
Seicento.
Patricia Easton is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Dean of the Centers for the
Arts and Humanities at Claremont Graduate University.
Sarah Hutton is Professor of Early Modern Studies at Middlesex University.
Douglas Jesseph is Professor of Philosophy at North Carolina State University.
Thomas M.Lennon is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Western Ontario.
Paul Lodge is Fellow of Mansfield College, Oxford, and University Lecturer in Early
Modern Philosophy at the University of Oxford.
Steven Nadler is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Mosse/ Weinstein Center
for Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tad M.Schmaltz is Professor of Philosophy at Duke University and Editor of the
Journal of the History of Philosophy.
Theo Verbeek is Professor of Philosophy at Universiteit Utrecht.
Acknowledgments
Earlier versions of several of the chapters in this volume were presented at the conference
“Receptions of Descartes” which was held at Duke University during 14–17 March 2002.
Both the conference and work on this volume were made possible by funding from the
Florence Gould Foundation, the Franklin J.Matchette Foundation, and the Josiah Charles
Trent Memorial Foundation. Support was provided at Duke University from the Office of
the Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies and the Office of the Vice Provost for
International Affairs and Development, and also from the Center for European Studies,
the Center for French and Francophone Studies, and a grant from the Arts and Sciences
Committee on Faculty Research.
References and abbreviations
References in the notes and text are keyed to the bibliography at the end of the volume,
and take the form: (author, year, page). Abbreviations specific to an individual chapter
are cited in the notes of that chapter. The following abbreviations are used throughout the
volume.
AT Descartes 1964–74 (ed. C.Adam and P.Tannery) (cited by
volume (-part) and page, e.g. 7:41 and 8–1:61)
C Spinoza 1985 (trans. E.Curley)
CSM Descartes 1984–5 (trans. J.Cottingham, R.Stoothoff and
D. Murdoch) (cited by volume and page)
CSMK Descartes 1991 (trans. J.Cottingham, R.Stoothoff,
D.Murdoch and A.Kenny)
DM Descartes’s Discourse on the Method (Discours de la
méthode) (cited by part)
E Spinoza’s Ethics (Ethica) (cited by part, definition [def],
proposition [p], or scholium [s], e.g. Idef3 and Ip15s)
G Spinoza 1972 (ed. G.Gebhardt) (cited by volume and
page)
LO Malebranche 1997 (trans. T.Lennon and P.Olscamp)
OCM Malebranche 1958–84 (Œuvres Complètes de
Malebranche) (cited by volume (-part) and page)
PP Descartes’s Principles of Philosophy (Principia
philosophiae) (cited by part and article, e.g. I.51)