DESCARTES A Biography Ren´e Descartes is best remembered today for writing “I think, therefore I am,” but his main contribution to the history of ideas was his effort to construct a philosophy that would be sympathetic to the new sciences that emerged in the seventeenth century To a great extent he was the midwife to the Scientific Revolution and a significant contributor to its key concepts In four major publications, he fashioned a philosophical system that accommodated the needs of these new sciences and thereby earned the unrelenting hostility of both Catholic and Calvinist theologians, who relied on the scholastic philosophy that Descartes hoped to replace His contemporaries claimed that his proofs of God’s existence, in the Meditations, were so unsuccessful that he must have been a cryptic atheist, and that his discussion of scepticism served mainly to fan the flames of libertinism Descartes died in Stockholm in obscurity but soon became one of the most famous philosophers of the seventeenth century, a status that he continues to enjoy today This is the first biography in English that addresses the full range of Descartes’ interests in theology, philosophy, and the sciences and that traces his intellectual development through his entire career Desmond M Clarke is Professor of Philosophy at the National University of Ireland, Cork He received a D.Litt from the National University of Ireland, was Jean Monnet Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, and has been elected to the Royal Irish Academy He is the author of a number of books on Descartes and the seventeenth century, most recently Descartes’s Theory of Mind Descartes A Biography Desmond M Clarke National University of Ireland, Cork cambridge university press Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521823012 © D e s m o n d M C l a r k e 2006 This publication is in copyright Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press First published in print format 2006 isbn-13 isbn-10 978-0-511-16899-4 eBook (NetLibrary) 0-511-16899-3 eBook (NetLibrary) isbn-13 isbn-10 978-0-521-82301-2 hardback 0-521-82301-3 hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate Contents Preface and Acknowledgments page vii Note on Texts and References ix Descartes Family Tree x Introduction A Lawyer’s Education In Search of a Career (–) Magic, Mathematics, and Mechanics: Paris, – A Fabulous World (–) The Scientific Essays and the Discourse on Method (–) Retreat and Defence (–) Metaphysics in a Hornet’s Nest (–) The French Liar’s Monkey and the Utrecht Crisis Descartes and Princess Elizabeth The Principles of Philosophy () The Quarrel and Final Rift with Regius Once More into Battle: The Leiden Theologians () Thoughts of Retirement Death in Sweden v vi Contents Appendix : Descartes’ Principal Works Appendix : Places Where Descartes Lived Notes Bibliography Index Preface and Acknowledgments Those who were best equipped in the past to write a biography of Descartes embarked on the project with great reluctance and explicit apologies This pattern was set by the first major biographer, Adrien Baillet, in the late seventeenth century As he began the task, he had on his desk more original documents by Descartes and his contemporaries than anyone has ever collected since then Nonetheless, he suggested that Chanut, Clerselier, or Legrand would have been a more suitable biographer than himself. Charles Adam was equally hesitant about writing his Life of Descartes (), even though he had just completed editing the eleven-volume edition of Descartes’ works with Paul Tannery ‘In the current state of our knowledge’, he wrote, ‘it will not be possible for a long time to complete such a work properly.’ Adam thought that a good biography would require preparatory studies of philosophical and scientific topics in the early seventeenth century, and more research on those who influenced Descartes and on his personal relations with contemporaries When the late Terry Moore asked me if I were interested in writing a biography of Descartes, I answered too quickly in the affirmative I did not appreciate adequately the unsatisfactory state of Descartes’ correspondence, although I believed that many of the studies that Adam talked about had been done during the past century My colleague in Utrecht, Theo Verbeek, was much better informed about these matters and told me with benevolent kindness that I was a fool! However, he also agreed to compensate as much as possible for my ignorance and temerity by sharing with me his wealth of knowledge about Descartes’ life in the Netherlands, and about the Dutch authors in the seventeenth century who were significant for his biography vii viii Preface and Acknowledgments I am particularly grateful to Theo Verbeek for making available his work in progress on Descartes’ correspondence I also thank Erik-Jan Bos and Theo for reading the first draft of the whole text and for making many valuable suggestions and necessary corrections Dolores Dooley likewise read the full text and made detailed comments Des MacHale and Oliver Ranner read various chapters and offered helpful suggestions Jeroen van de Ven provided information about Helena Jans, and I borrowed extensively from the two-volume bibliography of Descartes’ works prepared by Matthijs van Otegem Letizia Panizza and John Sutton obliged with suggestions and material about the libertines and Digby I consulted colleagues in the Departments of French and Ancient Classics at University College, Cork, for assistance with translations, including Matthew MacNamara, Patrick O’Donovan, and Keith Sithwell, and I am very grateful for their help Most of the research for this book was completed during the – academic year, during which I had a Government of Ireland Senior Fellowship from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences I am grateful to the council for the financial assistance that made this work possible I also acknowledge financial support from the Arts Faculty, University College, Cork, during the years –, which enabled me to consult material at the Biblioth`eque Nationale, Paris, and at the British Library, London During the past year, I also relied on the professional advice of Charles Shinkwin and David Pearson, each of whom contributed indirectly but significantly to the timely conclusion of this project Cork November Note on Texts and References Most references to Descartes are to the eleven-volume edition of his Oeuvres, edited by Charles Adam and Paul Tannery, which was subsequently reissued with additions and corrections Although this edition is usually identified in the literature as ‘AT’, I have simplified references by omitting this acronym and by providing only the volume and page numbers Where I refer to alternative editions of Descartes’ works, I use the same style of author/date that is used for other authors I have used the usual prefix, ‘CM’, to refer to the standard edition of Mersenne’s correspondence Some relevant details of Descartes’ correspondence remain uncertain, such as the date or addressee I have followed the tentative suggestions of Adam and Tannery, indicating uncertainty by square brackets, unless the ambiguities have been resolved in Descartes () or elsewhere The notes use the author/date system of reference The corresponding entries in the bibliography refer to the editions that I managed to consult, rather than to first editions Where there are standard English editions of primary texts readily available, I have also provided information on such editions Finally, I have translated into English the titles of all works that are mentioned in the body of the text ix Bibliography Gassendi, Pierre () Opera Omnia vols Lyon: Laurentius Anisson Gassendi, Pierre () Disquisitio Metaphysica Latin text, French translation by Bernard Rochot Paris: Vrin [Goulu, Dominique] () Letres de Phyllarque a Ariste Paris: George Verd Gournay, Marie le Jars de () Apology for the Woman Writing and Other Works Edited and translated by Richard Hillman and Colette Quesnel Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press Guez de Balzac, Jean Louis () Lettres de Sieur de Balzac Paris: Toussaint du Bray Guez de Balzac, Jean Louis (a) The Letters of Mounsieur de Balzac Trans ‘W.T.’ London: W Edmonds Guez de Balzac, Jean Louis (b) New Epistles by Mounsieur D’Balzac Trans Richard Baker Knight London: Eglesfield, 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Pierre, , –, , , , , , Boyle, Robert, , Brahe, Tycho, Brasset, Henri, Breda, Brochard, Jeanne, , Brochard, Ren´e, , , Bruno, Giordano, , , , Buridan, Jean, Burman, Frans, – Campanella, Tommaso, , , , , –, Carcavi, Pierre de, Caterus, Johannes, , Caus, Salomon de, –, , Caussin, Nicolas, Cavendish, Charles, , , , Cavendish, William (Marquess of Newcastle), , , , certainty absolute, moral, Chanut, Pierre, –, –, –, – Charles I, , , Charlet, Etienne, , , Charron, Pierre, , , Chˆatellerault, , chemistry, study of, , Christina, queen of Sweden, –, –, , Cicero, Marcus Tullius, Clauberg, Johannes, , Claves, Etienne de, Clavius, Christopher, Clerselier, Claude, , , , Clopper, Jacob, Cohen, Gustave, Index Colvius, Andreas, , conditioning, – confirmation, of theories, , – Copernicus, Nicholas, , Coton, Pierre, Council of Trent, , , , Courc¸elles, Etienne de, critics, invitation to, – Cromwell, Oliver, , d’Albert, Louis Charles, Dee, John, , Della Porta, John Battista, , Descartes, Francine (Fransintge), –, , , Descartes, Jeanne, , , Descartes, Joachim, , Descartes, Pierre, , , , , Descartes, Ren´e baptism, birth, condemnation by Rome, – death, – dreams, – Dutch, knowledge of, mathematics, –, –, metaphysics, –, –, – reburial in Paris, – reclusiveness, , , , –, , , religious education, religious practice, – residences Alkmaar, Amsterdam, , Deventer, Egmond, Egmond-Binnen, Endegeest, Franeker, – Leiden, , , Paris, Utrecht, royal pension, travel Denmark (), Germany (), Italy (), Paris (), – Paris (), – Paris (), – Sweden, – United Provinces (), United Provinces (), works Apologetic Letter, , Compendium of Music, –, Comments on a Certain Manifesto, Conversation with Burman, – Description of the Human Body, Dioptics, – Discourse on Method, – Geometry, – Geometry (Latin version), Letter to Father Dinet, , – Letter to Voetius, – Meditations, – Meditations (French edition), – Meteors, – Olympics Passions of the Soul, , , –, Principles of Philosophy, –, –, –, – Principles of Philosophy (French version), – Rules for Guiding One’s Intelligence, , Specimens of Philosophy, The World, –, , , – Treatise on Man, , – Desmarets, Samuel, Desmarets, Henri, Digby, Kenelm, , –, – Dinet, Jacques, , –, Dordrecht (Dort), Synod of, , Du Ban, Franc¸ois, Edict of Nantes, , Elizabeth, princess of Bohemia, , –, – Erasmus, Desiderius, – eucharist (transubstantiation), , , , –, , Eustace of St Paul, , , explanation, nature of, , , , fable (hypotheses as a), , Fabri, Honor´e, fate, – Index Fermat, Pierre, , –, Ferrand, Claude, , , Ferrand, Jean, , Ferrand, Michel, , , Ferrier, Jean, , –, Ficino, Marsilio, Fludd, Robert, Forcarini, Paolo Antonio, forms, , Fournet, Franc¸ois, Francis de Sales, Saint, Franc¸ois, Jean, , , free will, –, freedom of conscience, Freinsheim, Johann, , Froidmont, Libert (Fromondus, Libertus), – Fronde, Gadroys, Claude, Galilei, Galileo, , , , –, , , , , , , , Garasse, Franc¸ois, Gassendi, Pierre, , , –, , Genesis, book of, Geulincx, Arnold, Gibieuf, Guillaume, , , Gillot, Jean, , Giorgi, Franceso, Golius, Jacobus, , Gomarus, Franciscus, Gournay, Marie de, , Graswinckel, Dirck, Grotius, Hugo, Guez de Balzac, Jean Louis, , , , , Harvey, William, Heereboord, Adriaan, –, , heliocentrism, , , Henry III, Henry IV, – Herbert, Edward, ’s-Hertogenbosch, , – Hobbes, Thomas, –, Hogelande, Cornelis van, , , Hooke, Robert, Hoolck, Gisbertus van der, Hortensius, Martinus, , Huygens, Christiaan, Huygens, Constantijn, , Huygens, Susanna, Ibn Rushd (Averroes), , idea, Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Spiritual Exercises, –, , Index of Forbidden Books, inertia, principle of, intentional species, , – Jacobs, Meeus, – Jansdr vander Strom, Helena, –, , Jansenism, Jansenius, Cornelius, Jesuits, , , – John of the Cross, Saint, Kelley, Edward, Kepler, Johannes, , , , , Kircher, Athanasius, , La Fl`eche, – la Forge, Louis de, La Haye (Descartes), La Mothe le Vayer, Franc¸ois, La Rochelle, siege of, – Labadie, Jean de, , Lallemant, Louis, Lateran Council, , , laws of nature, , , , Le Grand, Antoine, Legrand, Jean-Baptiste, lens grinding, light, speed of, logic, study of, Longomontanus, Christianus (Christian Sorensen), Loon, Henricus van, Loreto, – love, nature of, – Lull, Ramon, , – Mabillon, Jean, Machiavelli, Niccolo, magic, , , Magno, Valeriano, Maier, Michael, Martin of Tours, Saint, mathematics, –, – Index mathesis universalis, Matthaeus, Antonius, Maurits of Nassau, , mechanical world, – medical advice, – Melanchthon, Philip, Mersenne, Marin, , , , , , –, , , – Mesland, Denis, , , metaphysics, , Metius, Adriaan, Mill, John Stuart, Moli`ere, J.-B P de, Montaigne, Michel de, , –, , Montfaucon, Bernard de, morality, rules of, More, Henry, – Morin, Anne, Morin, Jean-Baptiste, , , , –, Musson, Pierre, Mydorge, Claude, Naud´e, Gabriel, , Newcastle, marquis of, see Cavendish, William Nicholas of Cusa, , Nicole, Pierre, Noăel, Etienne, , , , , – objections (invited), – Osiander, Andreas, Pappus, , , parhelia, parlement, – Pascal, Blaise, , –, , ´ Pascal, Etienne, Pascal, Gilberte, Pascal, Jacqueline, Pasquier, Etienne, passions (emotions), –, –, Pepys, Samuel, perception, theory of, P´erier, Florin, , , Petau, Denis, Petit, Pierre, Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni, Picot, Claude, , , , , , , , , , , plague, , , , , , plants, study of, Plemp, Vopiscus Fortunatus, , , Poisson, Nicholas-Joseph, , Pomponazzi, Pietro, popular revolts, Primrose, James, privilege (for publication), –, Proust, Jeanne, , Pucci, Francisco, Puy-de-Dˆome, , pyrrhonism, – qualities, , Quintilian, Quintilian, M Fabius, – Raey, Johannes de, , rainbow, explanation of, – Ramus, Peter, Ravaillac, Franc¸ois, reason, natural light of, refraction, sine law of, R´egis, Pierre-Sylvain, Regius, Henricus, , , –, , –, – A Brief Explanation of the Human Mind, Explanation of the Human Mind, Physical Foundations, –, religious freedom, Reneri, Henri (Henricus), , –, , , , – Reuchlin, Johannes, Revius, Jacobus, , , revolts, rhetoric, study of, Richeome, Louis, , – Rivet, Andr´e, Rivet, Jacques, Roberval, Gilles Personne de, , , –, –, Rohault, Jacques, , , Rosicrucians, – Rudolph II, – Sain, Jeanne, , , Sain, Ren´e, Sanchez, Jerome, , Index Scheiner, Christopher, Schoock, Martinus, , , –, –, Schooten, Frans van (father), Schooten, Frans van (son), Schurman, Anna Maria van, , –, , Schuyl, Florentius, S´eguier, Pierre, Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, – sensations, internal, Sergeant, Jacob Thomasz, Servien, Abel, Sextus Empiricus, Silhon, Jean, , , , –, Snellius, Willebrord, , Soarez, Cyprian, Sorbonne approval from, – dedication to, soul immortality of, –, union with body, , –, Spinula, Stefano, spirits, – St Bartholomew’s Day, Stampioen, Johann, Stevin, Simon, Stuart, Adam, , Syllabus of Studies, Teresa of Avila, Saint, theatre, study of, Torricelli, Evangelista, Trigland, Jacob, Tartaglia, Agostino, Tasso, Tarquato, Zarlino, Gioseffo, Zurck, Antony Studler van, University of Franaker, University of Leiden, , – University of Paris, University of Poitiers, – vacuum, Vanini, Giulio Cesare (Lucilio), –, , , –, , , Vatier, Antoine, , , , Viau, Th´eophile de, Vi`ete, Franc¸ois, , ´ Ville-Bressieux, Etienne de, , , Villon, Antoine, Voetius, Gisbertus, , , –, organ music, , Selected Theological Disputations, Vorstius, Adolphus, Vossius, Gerard, Waessenaer, Jacob van, Wassenaer, Petrus, Wevelinchoven, Jan van, White, Thomas, , – women’s education, ... (who later acquired the same post as his father) and a daughter called Anne. Descartes probably lived with his maternal grandmother for at least two years, or as long as his local nurse was feeding... offices in France increased significantly. Although Descartes paternal grandfather was a medical doctor, as was his paternal grandmother’s father, Jean Ferrand I, most of his other ancestors... Descartes as having exaggerated the significance and capacity of reason at the expense of the emotional life For them, Descartes was a mere ‘rationalist’ Descartes life reveals a much more complex and