Philosophical Essays And Correspondence

This volume offers Descartes's essential writings and selections from his lesser known works, along with important selections from his philosophical correspondence. The result is an anthology that provides the reader not only with an invaluable collection of Descartes's writings but also with an understanding of the development of his thought over his lifetime. TABLE OF CONTENTS: General Introduction. Bibliography. Time Line. I. Early Works and Correspondence (1618-1637): Preliminaries and Observations; Rules for the Direction of the Mind [1-13]; To Mersenne, On the Eternal Truths; The World and Man [chs. 1-7]; To Mersenne, About Galileo's Condemnation. II. Discourse on Method (1637). III. Correspondence (1637-1641): To Silhon, Existence of God and the Soul; To Plempius for Fromondus, Atomism and Mechanism; To Vatier, On the Discourse; To Regius, Knowledge of the Infinite; To Colvius, On Augustine and the Cogito; To Mersenne, Immortality of the Soul; To Mersenne, The Aim of the Meditations and the Context for the Principles; To Mersenne, On J. B. Morin's Proof for the Existence of God. IV. Meditations on First Philosophy (1641). V. Objections by Some Learned Men to the preceeding Meditations, with Replies by the Author (1641) [selected]. VI. Correspondence (1641-1644): To Mersenne, Idea Defined and Discussed; To Giebieuf, Ideas and Abstraction; To Buitendijck, Possibility of Doubting God's Existence; To Elisabeth, Primitive Notions; To Mesland, On Freedom. VII. Principles of Philosophy (1644-1647). VIII. Late Works and Correspondence (1645 and later): To Mesland, On Freedom; To Clerselier, Concerning Principles; To Newcastle, About Animals; To Chanut, On Nicolas of Cusa and the Infinite; Notes against a Program (1648); To More, Replies to Objections; Passions of the Soul (1649)[selected]; Search After Truth. Index.