The Downfall of Cartesianism 1673-1712: A Study of Epistemological Issues in Late 17th Century Cartesianism

by Richard A. Watson

Simon Foucher (1644-1696).- Late 17th Century Cartesian Metaphysics and Criticisms of IT.- The Controversy Concerning Ideas between Malebranche and Foucher.- The Orthodox (Non-Occasionalist) Cartesian Way of Ideas.- An Analysis of the Cartesian Failures to Solve Problems Facing Cartesianism.- Post-Cartesian Developments of the Way of Ideas.- Leibniz and Foucher.- Conclusion.

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Richard Watson is a recognized and pre-eminent Cartesian scholar and until his retirement was a professor of philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis. He now lives in Missoula, Montana.

Reviews

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the title might suggest a broad socio-political narrative, Watson's book is a narrow intellectual history. The reward to the reader for this narrow focus is a lucid exposition of difficult philosophical ideas. He shows how the contradictions within Cartesian philosophy prevented it from explaining how a mind can interact with a body or how a mind can know external objects. He relates a number of efforts to overcome this fatal problem before Hume enters late in the story and throws the whole substance ontology overboard. I feel that after reading this book I have a much better understanding of the important problems in seventeenth century philosophy.