Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason

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Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason

by Russell Shorto (Goodreads Author)

3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 · rating details · 864 ratings · 191 reviews

On a brutal winter's day in 1650 in Stockholm, the Frenchman René Descartes, the most influential and controversial thinker of his time, was buried after a cold and lonely death far from home. Sixteen years later, the French Ambassador Hugues de Terlon secretly unearthed Descartes' bones and transported them to France.

Why would this devoutly Catholic official care so much...more On a brutal winter's day in 1650 in Stockholm, the Frenchman René Descartes, the most influential and controversial thinker of his time, was buried after a cold and lonely death far from home. Sixteen years later, the French Ambassador Hugues de Terlon secretly unearthed Descartes' bones and transported them to France.

Why would this devoutly Catholic official care so much about the remains of a philosopher who was hounded from country to country on charges of atheism? Why would Descartes' bones take such a strange, serpentine path over the next 350 years—a path intersecting some of the grandest events imaginable: the birth of science, the rise of democracy, the mind-body problem, the conflict between faith and reason? Their story involves people from all walks of life—Louis XIV, a Swedish casino operator, poets and playwrights, philosophers and physicists, as these people used the bones in scientific studies, stole them, sold them, revered them as relics, fought over them, passed them surreptitiously from hand to hand.

The answer lies in Descartes’ famous phrase: Cogito ergo sum—"I think, therefore I am." In his deceptively simple seventy-eight-page essay, Discourse on the Method, this small, vain, vindictive, peripatetic, ambitious Frenchman destroyed 2,000 years of received wisdom and laid the foundations of the modern world. At the root of Descartes’ “method” was skepticism: "What can I know for certain?" Like-minded thinkers around Europe passionately embraced the book--the method was applied to medicine, nature, politics, and society. The notion that one could find truth in facts that could be proved, and not in reliance on tradition and the Church's teachings, would become a turning point in human history.

In an age of faith, what Descartes was proposing seemed like heresy. Yet Descartes himself was a good Catholic, who was spurred to write his incendiary book for the most personal of reasons: He had devoted himself to medicine and the study of nature, but when his beloved daughter died at the age of five, he took his ideas deeper. To understand the natural world one needed to question everything. Thus the scientific method was created and religion overthrown. If the natural world could be understood, knowledge could be advanced, and others might not suffer as his child did.

The great controversy Descartes ignited continues to our era: where Islamic terrorists spurn the modern world and pine for a culture based on unquestioning faith; where scientists write bestsellers that passionately make the case for atheism; where others struggle to find a balance between faith and reason.
Descartes’ Bonesis a historical detective story about the creation of the modern mind, with twists and turns leading up to the present day—to the science museum in Paris where the philosopher’s skull now resides and to the church a few kilometers away where, not long ago, a philosopher-priest said a mass for his bones.(less)

Hardcover, 299 pages

Published October 14th 2008 by Doubleday (first published January 1st 2008)

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Mar 13, 2010 Scot rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a stimulating book for those who like a well written, compelling narrative but are also interested in reflecting upon the broader sweep and impact of the history of ideas, more particularly the rise of modernism as summarized in the Enlightenment struggle between systems of Faith and those of Reason (and for that matter, the ongoing consequence of such struggles today, exemplified in fundamentalist challenges to rational understanding of the world around us, both here in the United State...more This is a stimulating book for those who like a well written, compelling narrative but are also interested in reflecting upon the broader sweep and impact of the history of ideas, more particularly the rise of modernism as summarized in the Enlightenment struggle between systems of Faith and those of Reason (and for that matter, the ongoing consequence of such struggles today, exemplified in fundamentalist challenges to rational understanding of the world around us, both here in the United States as demonstrated by the influence of the likes of Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, or the Texas State Board of Education, or abroad in the hegemonic rise of Islamic fundamentalism.

The paradigmatic drama Shorto selects to mark the rise of modernism is the publication in 1637 of Rene Descartes’ Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking Truth in the Sciences. He describes the creation, message, and first reactions to this book in his first chapter, where he also introduces us to Descartes the man, and in an engaging style with elegant prose and masterful command of well chosen details, we are pulled into a summary story of not just his perceptions, but also his life struggles, adventures, and ultimate death. He dies in 1650 in Sweden, a guest at the court of the forward thinking, intellectual young monarch Queen Christina. And this is where it gets interesting. What exactly happened to Descartes’ physical remains following his death, the provenance of his bones as he was periodically dug up, moved around, honored, then reinterred--including a fascinating separation of the head and distinct side journey for his skull--becomes a thread with which to weave together, across disciplines, nations, wars, and centuries, the evolving applications of rational thought and the stumbling forward of scientific and social scientific advancement, even as along the way progressive thinkers were continually challenged by advocates of the medieval prominence given to faith before reason, albeit in different forms and institutional structures as the centuries progressed.

This is much more than just philosophy. It has lots of history, including the beginnings of many disciplines in the history of science, and it also draws upon art history, particularly as an investigative tool. I admire the way the story of the bones, perhaps a tad macabre but nonetheless inevitably interesting as it is traced down through the generations, continually provides opportunity and context for a cogent reflection on larger cultural or ideational shifts and recurring debates over ways of understanding the world around us. Shorto does not take a partisan approach, ridiculing advocates of religion and championing those who reject all systems of faith; he wisely notes failures in both systems and conveys a respect for always trying to see merit in the other’s perspective, of recognizing that on both an individual and a societal level we are usually trying to work out the best position on the continuum somewhere between the two extremes. In the end, however, we are all better off today for the wondering Descartes did back then.
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Apr 06, 2009 Dave rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction-read

A fascinating, to me, examination of the influence of Rene Descartes on modern thought. Starts with the great philosopher's death, with a brief summary of Descartes' life. Then a circuitous narrative showing the impact of the philosopher's ideas on the split between faith and reason flowing through the following centuries.

The narrative meandered considerably but the loops were interesting. The story is part forensic mystery, part history of philosophy and part discussion of the ideals of modern...more

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May 31, 2012 Wayne rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Passionate Thinkers!!!

Recommended to Wayne by: my own boredom with Descartes, no less!!

Shelves: memoirs-biography, history, philosophy, religion, science

THIS is the book I've been searching for in my dreams.
Exactly what happened and how it happened
that the revival of philosophy and scientific thinking
arose and grew into the 18th Century Enlightenment and laid the foundations of modern thinking which we take for granted.

The Enlightenment was a mere plaque in the wall
of 100 years plus of solid foundation building.
And the roots go back immediately into the 1500's and 1600's
and further into Ancient Greece, although
Shorto concentrates on the imm...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Seth rated it 3 of 5 stars

The broader view of the book was very rewarding. I really enjoyed the "mind body question" and his explanation of how the modern era is separated by Decartes' grounding observations of rationalism and the absolute removal of assumptions. I enjoyed his treatment of religion and rationalism together. I also enjoyed Decartes' personal story. If the skeletal history theme were presented as a framework to contextualizing history (which was what seemed to be intended), without letting it take over the...more

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Jan 09, 2009 Clif Hostetler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history

The author uses the story of Descartes' bones as a metaphor for the divisive and rambling path toward human progress. The use of Descartes' bones in this way is doubly clever because not only is the physical path of the bones mysterious and controversial; Descartes' philosophy of questioning received wisdom had its own controversy with traditional thinking. The book follows the history of The Enlightenment through to today's three-way tension between moderates, religious fundamentalist, and secu...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Ruth rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: giving-up-on, history-and-biography

I am listening to this in my car. Descartes was Catholic, but his thinking made many in the Church feel threatened. He died in Sweden, the story of Queen Christina is fascinating in it's own right. Am still in the early chapters--apparently relics are still a big thing when R.D. dies, so it seems his bones will not be left alone.

Now it is the 1790s and DesCartes has been dead for quite some time. The French Revolution has set up a new and disease free republic. Churches are getting attacked. Des...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Marcus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before reading this, I was only marginally familiar with Descartes and his contributions to philosophy and science. This book made catching up him and realizing his contributions to, and influence on, modern society very accessible and entertaining. The story of his bones traveling around was at times interesting, though it was definitely overshadowed by the history of his life and his influence after death.

I thought the author did a pretty good job of handling the balance between religion and s...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Terry Filicko rated it 4 of 5 stars

I "read" DESCARTES' BONES as an audio book, and it held my interest through most - though not all - of the book. Russell Shorto covers a wide range of topics; there's something for almost everyone here.

I was particularly interested in the details of Descartes' life and the impact of his philosophical arguments. Both topics are covered thoroughly, and I would recommend the book for anyone looking for those discussions.

The integral role of Descartes in Western philosophy is clear. The surprise,...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Amanda Serrano rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was initially intrigued by the title/subject of this book. I think it was an interesting idea to use the story of Descartes, the Enlightenment, and the varied reaction through time to a new philosophy based on reason (rather than faith).

Unfortunately, the "Descartes' bones and skeletal history" part of the book didn't mesh well and felt disjointed from the "history of conflict between faith and reason" aspect. The former might have been interesting as a short article, and the latter is an inte...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Mikey B. rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a marvellous historiography of philosophy and the Enlightenment. It gives an overview starting with Descartes and how his views impacted the world. It is very entertaining and readable with a minimum of philosophical jargon. Its’ “European philosophy 101” and I see nothing wrong with that.

The basic premise is that Descartes pulled Europe away from an ecclesiastical paradigm. Prior, religion was the primary knowledge source for everything. Descartes liberated the search for knowledge. Nat...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Gloria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was true to its title. Descartes is dead by the end of the second CD. The bulk of the story is concerned with what happens after his death. Descartes is considered the father of modernity. His famous, "I think, therefore I am" should be translated to "there is thinking going on therefore I must exist to do the thinking". He questioned everything but his thoughts. This skepticism is how modern scientific reasoning was born. With this skepticism came atheism. It was this rift between the...more

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Jul 27, 2011 Michael Johnston rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-truly-astonishing

Frankly, this is one of the best and most interesting books I've ever read. Now, let me be clear - it's definitely not for everyone. However, it is a truly fascinating combination of a) the story of the foundations of western intellectual thought and b) a thrilling true crime mystery story. No, I'm not kidding. The book follows the path of Rene Descartes' bones (literally) as they mysteriously moved from place to place. Hundreds of years after his death, his head was on one place, his hand in an...more

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May 19, 2011 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This book was fascinating. It was the author's intent to correlate the trail of Descartes skeletal remains to that of scientific development sparked by his writings. While the bones' two exhumations and reinterments were triggered by changing social climates, largely a result of the reason vs. faith conflict, I didn't feel that the weave was always successful.

It is not a biography; the book begins, understandably, with Descartes' death in Sweden and a review of his philosophies regarding man's q...more This book was fascinating. It was the author's intent to correlate the trail of Descartes skeletal remains to that of scientific development sparked by his writings. While the bones' two exhumations and reinterments were triggered by changing social climates, largely a result of the reason vs. faith conflict, I didn't feel that the weave was always successful.

It is not a biography; the book begins, understandably, with Descartes' death in Sweden and a review of his philosophies regarding man's quest for knowledge. To begin properly, one must relinquish all accepted beliefs, question everything, including previous authorities (such as Aristotle and the Bible), and explore the world. Once everything else was removed, the only sure concept was that there was thinking occurring (paraphrased, "I think, therefore I am"). The vast field of knowledge was open and available to everyone, not just a select, few scholars.

While some embraced this with enthusiasm, any faction that relied on the power of superstition and magical thinking (such as the church) perceived a grave threat, and the conflict of reason vs. faith was born (and more fundamentally, mind vs. body). Descartes, a devout Christian, was troubled by this unintended consequence, and rather than espousing dualism, continued to search for a third element that unified mind and body. But the fire was already lit and it spread with dazzling speed.

There is an incredible volume of scientific development and history encased in this book. Shorto weaves the thread of Descartes' impact through the Enlightenment, the French and Industrial Revolutions, theories of evolution, and the creation of new disciplines such as anthropology. Freed of the shackles of "received wisdom", scientists were relentlessly unearthing nature's mysteries by experimentation and exploration.

The conflict engendered by Descartes' writings remains largely unresolved; religion and faith continue to satisfy some basic human need, and must be reconciled with the scientific developments that debunk their myths. (The clash has become fodder for commercially successful books and films, think Dan Brown and the Illuminati.) The solution is, no doubt, personal, arising from within that third element, the "passion", or heart, that somehow provides the interface.
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Jun 11, 2010 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book makes the case that Descartes is the father of modernity. Daddy’s bones make for interesting history, mystery, and detective work, and they form a good platform to go off on other fun and interesting tangents, which the author is not shy about doing. Touching on everything from philosophy to science to religion, the author weaves into the story Descartes biography, biographical sketches from other historic figures that followed in his wake (such as Cuvier), the early history of cranial...more

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Nov 07, 2009 Dave rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, history, math-science, non-fiction

A book such as this touches on numerous subjects. Biography, math, science, philosophy, and even a bit of mystery creeps in, but as the subtitle indicates, it is history, and specifically the history of the conflict between faith and reason which is the primary focus of this work. “Descartes’ Bones (A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason)” by Russell Shorto is an all too brief history of the subject, and naturally focuses almost exclusively on the aspect of the subject which...more A book such as this touches on numerous subjects. Biography, math, science, philosophy, and even a bit of mystery creeps in, but as the subtitle indicates, it is history, and specifically the history of the conflict between faith and reason which is the primary focus of this work. “Descartes’ Bones (A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason)” by Russell Shorto is an all too brief history of the subject, and naturally focuses almost exclusively on the aspect of the subject which was impacted by the unusual history of Descartes’ remains.

Chapter one is titled “The Man Who Died” and is a brief discussion of Descartes focusing mainly on his death in 1650 and the circumstances which resulted in his being in Sweden, but also looks at Descartes own faith as well as the attitude towards his works during his lifetime. This is the start of the conflict, but I would have liked it to be a more thorough treatment of Descartes life than it was to provide a better foundation for the discussion.

“Banquet of Bones” is the second chapter and discusses the moving of Descartes’ Bones in 1666 from Sweden to France, but also advances the discussion of the conflict by looking at Cartesianism which arose as a result of Descartes’ teachings after his death. Another important discussion is about the taking of artifacts which plays a huge role in the story, as Descartes’ index finger is recorded as being taken at this time. There is also the hint of other bones being taken, though that was not discovered until much later.

“Unholy Relics” looks at the next period of the history of his remains, which were buried in St. Genevieve after being moved there from Sweden. The historical context for the next disruption is the French Revolution, and Russell Shorto provides a wonderful discussion of the role Descartes’ teachings played in the minds of people during that turbulent time. He also discusses the confusing history of what is known, but mostly what is unknown, about Descartes’ remains during this time.

“The Misplaced Head” discusses the revelation that the original skull was separated from the body, when a letter is sent from Sweden by Berzelius claiming to have found the original skull which he was also returning to France. There was a great debate by the Academy of Sciences at the time as to the veracity of the claim, with Cuvier taking the position that it was the skull and Delambre taking the position that it was far from proven. One of the key problems with the theory was that the evidence pointed to the skull being swapped, but there was no distinguishable skull with Descartes remains in France, so the question appeared to still be open, though ultimately the Academy accepted the skull as being authentic.

“Cranial Capacity” goes deeper into the discussion of the scientific debate at the time of whether or not brain size is directly related to intelligence, and how the skull which had been returned was used in that debate by both sides as evidence in the debate. Russell Shorto also discusses other scientific theories such as evolution and how the skull was used in those debates. Key in the debate on evolution is that how evolution played a role, but not in the conflict between faith and reason, but rather between religion and reason.

“Habeas Corpus” is (hopefully) the last chapter in the strange story of Descartes’ remains, and it discusses the final efforts to determine if the skull was really that of Descartes. There was an extensive amount of research done by Paul Richer looking at the artistic evidence of the portraits of Descartes done around the time of his death. In addition, this chapter discusses the event of losing the skull, though it was later found. Lastly, the author presents his theory for just what happened to Descartes’ Bones and who was responsible for much of the confusion and mystery around what happened to them.

“A Modern Face” is a short chapter which discusses the modern efforts to use the skull to reconstruct the face of Descartes, and along with the Epilogue provides a fitting ending to the tale.

In addition to the above, Russell Shorto several times relates the story being told to the fight between religion and secularism today, and though I agree with many of his positions on the increasingly radical view expressed by some of the atheists today, it does feel a bit out of place in this book. I also feel that he should have distinguished between faith and religion in stronger terms. His subtitle confuses the two to some extent, though one could argue that he is referring to people’s faith in a particular religion, rather than their faith in God. Overall, though, I found this to be a very entertaining read and well worth it for those who are interested in history.
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Aug 14, 2009 Jeff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Russell Shorto has written a rather wonderful book that uses the confusion and conflicts over the physical remains of the philosopher René Descartes to explore how Descartes ideas about the importance of reason have both influenced Western history and thinking, and how the issues Descartes first raised are still troubling us in the 21st century. I could quibble about certain aspects of Shorto's style, and his tendency to repeat himself at times, but over all, this is an engaging both as a histor...more

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Jul 16, 2009 Jeb rated it 4 of 5 stars

A slow start. It begins with Descartes dying. I suppose I should have been alerted to that by the title, but, my first thought through the handful of beginning pages was "he's dead...that's no good...what's the rest of the book going to be about."

Fortunately, I continued and now I'm being rewarded.

The most interesting new information I've learned is the impact that Cartesianism had on the concept of transubstantiation (if that's not familiar to you, it's the Catholic belief that the sacraments b...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Walter rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a fascinating, excellent book. The subject matter is intriguing - essentially an examination of modernity through the lens of the tale of the imminent philosopher Rene Descartes' remains - and the writing is strong, fluid and melodious as well. True, the tale does weaken a tad as it draws to a close (as the author seems to try to make too broad a statement/to weave too many themes together in order to arrive a big finish that is in fact diminished by the attempt). Until the last chapter...more This is a fascinating, excellent book. The subject matter is intriguing - essentially an examination of modernity through the lens of the tale of the imminent philosopher Rene Descartes' remains - and the writing is strong, fluid and melodious as well. True, the tale does weaken a tad as it draws to a close (as the author seems to try to make too broad a statement/to weave too many themes together in order to arrive a big finish that is in fact diminished by the attempt). Until the last chapter or two, though, the tale is gripping and enjoyably relayed. As such, it makes for a most edifying experience: the reader learns a lot and enjoys the trip greatly, too.

The story of Descartes' Bones is a fascinating one, and in telling it the author surveys philosophy, the history of science, modern European history, the development of thought, the impact of Cartesianism, etc., along the way. There is just so much good stuff here and it is revealed almost as if in a novel. Shorto is so compelling in his presentation that you almost wonder at times if he is indeed making this stuff up, but, thankfully, as we all know, truth is stranger (and more interesting most of the time) than fiction. One definitely comes away from the book with a greater appreciation for the groundbreaking nature of Descartes' contribution and impact. Cogito ergo sum is far more than a pithy slogan; it was and is truly one of the watershed markers in our history as a species.

Contrasting its myriad strengths are two modest but noticeable weaknesses: First, there is so much detail that at times the asides can be too much of a distraction from the main point(s) the author is trying to make. Yes, his reseach is clearly both voluminous and fascinating, but the level of detail here is so prodigious that it makes it harder to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Second, as previously mentioned, the Epilogue (and, really, the last chapter in which he shares his unfortunate conclusion relative to the philosopher's bodily remains) feels invented in the sense that it tries to rope in so many different trends of thought and ideas that it begins to work against itself. For example, the stories of some of his contemporary subjects in the Epilogue are far less interesting (and feel less germane, too), so the effect is one that hurts the reader's confidence in the author's conclusions.

This being said, there is so much excellent work here - both in terms of researching the subject and relaying it as well - that I heartily recommend it. The subject matter could seem off-puttingly high brow or dry upon first glance, but Shorto brings it alive in a way that shows how very different reality can be from our (uninformed) thoughts and feelings. Enjoy the history and the journey in this book. As the author contends, the story of Descartes' bones really does tell us a great deal about who we are and how we have come to be this way....(less)

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Dec 18, 2012 Carolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, history, non-fiction

Russell Shorto writes so well that I figured that if anyone could help me understand the importance of Descartes, he could. (I took one philosophy class in college and could not make heads or tales of much of it.) Shorto took the fact that the actual bones of Descartes kept being moved thoughout history, to say nothing of the head which was detached from the body, and joined this unique history of searching for actual bones to searching for the importance of Descartes. For me, it worked. I now u...more

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Jan 09, 2009 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting premise. The author uses the strange history of Rene Descartes' remains after his internment as a means to illuminate the development of "modern" rationalism (rightly or wrongly attributed to Descartes) and its conflict with "faith" based world views. Not quite finished but overall very thought-provoking and generally well-written. My favorite passage to date: "If the West is heading toward some kind of crisis, it's worth asking ourselves a few basic questions. Modern society as we n...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Kerrie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, non-fiction, from-library

Not really knowing anything about Descartes, this was an excellent introduction to him and his philosophy with the added awesome factor of how his bones and skull trotted across Europe over the course of centuries due to admirers wanting a relic of his remains. Ironic, since Descartes, despite being religious, gave rise to the philosophy of materialism and atheism during the Enlightenment.

The narrative flowed smoothly as Shorto laid out the journey of Descartes' bones. It was not linear, but con...more

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May 21, 2011 Penny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"It was as though staring into what is surely the blackest of all holes-the grave of one's child-pulled him out of the body, led him to the conclude that it would not give up its secrets so easily, and compelled him to look to the universe for answers."

The rest of the book is just as beautifully written, although he does indulge in some meandering. But overall great look into the Age of Enlightenment and the father of the Modern Age. The story of his skull is infamous. I read about it earlier i...more

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May 05, 2011 Peter rated it 5 of 5 stars

When my mother gave me this book for Christmas, it appealed to me on many levels. I tend to enjoy reading about important historical figures in the sciences, and associated Descartes' name with the cartesian coordinate system and philosophy. I've also really enjoyed the books I've read about human evolution and how anthropologists use bones to decifer our history, so the reference to his bones didn't hurt. But the subtitle, "A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason," sealed th...more

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Mar 10, 2009 Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: science

The premise was an interesting one, the history surrounding the remains of Descartes. Descartes didn't himself feature in the book but, again, the remains or consequences of what he started did. Finding out a tad more about Descartes, such as hurling an insult at Pascal, (really??!), having a love affair, a child, and a rather substantial arrogance regarding his own intelligence-was interesting.
But the world of science after Descartes is the true subject of this book, and the culmination of a p...more

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Dec 11, 2009 Helen Southall rated it 4 of 5 stars

A long, but interesting treatise about the life and philosophy of Rene' Descartes. Focusing on the mystery of his bones which seemed to have been lost and refound from his death in the 1600’s to today, the author traces the evolution of Cartesian/Modernistic thinking with the changing philosophy of each major period in history. His discussions of the conflicts between Descarte’s philosophy and the religious and political climate of the times helps to clarify the impact of his ideas. Especially i...more

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Jan 09, 2009 Liz DeCoster rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, philosophy-theory, science

This book is hard to classify. It's sort of a history of science, or a history of modernism, or even more specifically a history of the philosophy of science. I would liken it to books such as The Measure of All Things in that the author relates the specific (the migration of Descartes' body after his death in Sweden) to a more general idea (the evolution of Descartes' ideas about the mind/body problem) over a specific period of time. He draws his stories and examples from a wide range of discip...more

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Jul 10, 2010 Jeffrey Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I find this a book very difficult to evaluate. Well written, organized and research yet it leaves me feeling unsatisfied. It is a sweeping view of history, philosophy, culture. We get some background into Descartes, life and his conflict with the Church. We learn of his followers and opponents. We get a overview of the conflict of faith and reason, the mind body problem and locate him in relation to the history of science and philosophy. But after chewing over his bones, the feast left me wantin...more

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Feb 08, 2010 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars

A discursive look at the history of scientific inquiry since the Middle Ages. Using the search for and disputes over Descartes's skull and bones as a metaphor, Shorto describes the conflict between science and religion through a series of vignettes. Some of his side trips are pretty arbitrary (I imagined him mentioning that Descartes wrote at a desk, then giving a brief history of office furniture), but most are interesting, and Shorto writes well. The best parts of the book come first: the deve...more

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Sep 29, 2011 Chad Kohalyk rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone interested in philosophy of science or intellectual history

Shelves: audio

A very interesting romp through the intellectual history of Europe since the 17th century, with the remains of Descartes as the tour guide. The writing is good, but there is not much of a critical analysis as promised in the sub-title "a Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason". His conclusions are stated at the beginning and very end of the book, and although he poo-poos "religious fundamentalists" he sides with a Catholic apologist to counteract "Enlightenment Fundamentalists...more

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Oct 24, 2009 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars

The earthly remains of René Descartes have been disinterred several times since his death in 1650, and with each disturbance, some of his bones vanished into the hands of venerators. The irony of the material legacy of the philosopher of reason being regarded similarly to the relics of saints is not lost on Shorto, who pairs a detective narrative with his thoughts about what the story reveals about skepticism versus belief as features of modernity. As Shorto relates, uncertainty about the authen...more

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About Russell Shorto

Russell Shorto is the author of a book on the Dutch origins of New York City: The Island at the Center of the World. His most recent work, published in October 2008, is Descartes' Bones, which traces the wanderings of the literal skull and bones of René Descartes through three and a half centuries, and also traces the metaphorical remains of the French philosopher in the modern world.
A 1981 gradua...more

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Books by Russell Shorto

The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America

Saints and Madmen: How Pioneering Psychiatrists Are Creating a New Science of the Soul

Geronimo And The Struggle For Apache Freedom

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Quotes from Descartes' Bones: A Sk...

“We are graced with a godlike ability to transcend time and space in our minds but are chained to death.” — 5 people liked it

“They had applied their doubts to the very head that had introduced doubt as a tool for advancing knowledge. And in the end they gave the head a nod.” — 2 people liked it

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title link	preview: Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason
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BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2788874-descartes-bones?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1320445390l/2788874.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2788874-descartes-bones?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason by Russell Shorto[/url]

Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason

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