Book Information

A Companion to Descartes

Edited by: John Carriero (University of California, Los Angeles) and Janet Broughton (University of California, Berkeley)

Series: Blackwell Companions to Philosophy

Announcement

Many of the Blackwell Companions to Philosophy are now available online - visit Blackwell Reference Online at www.blackwellreference.com for more details.

Description

A collection of more than 30 newly commissioned essays, this volume surveys the work of the 17th-century philosopher-scientist commonly regarded as the founder of modern philosophy, while integrating unique essays detailing the context and impact of his work.

• Covers the full range of historical and philosophical perspectives on the work of Descartes
• Discusses his seminal contributions to our understanding of skepticism, mind-body dualism, self-knowledge, innate ideas, substance, causality, God, and the nature of animals
• Explores the philosophical significance of his contributions to mathematics and science
• Concludes with a section on the impact of Descartes's work on subsequent philosophers

TopTable of Contents

Notes on Contributors
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
Part I: The Intellectual Context
Part II: Mathematics and Natural Philosophy
Part III: Epistemology and Metaphysics
Part IV: Descartes's Legacy
Index

TopAbout the Author

Janet Broughton is Professor of Philosophy and Dean of Arts and Humanities at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of Descartes's Method of Doubt (2002).

John Carriero is Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has published widely in early modern philosophy.