Product Description
This book argues that science and metaphysics are closely and inseparably interwoven in the work of Descartes, such that the metaphysics cannot be understood without the science and vice versa. In order to make his case, Thomas Vinci offers a careful philosophical reconstruction of central parts of Descartes' metaphysics and of his theory of perception, each considered in relation to Descartes' epistemology. Many authors of late have written on the relation between Descartes' metaphysics and his physics, especially insofar as the former was intended to justify the latter. Vinci's work does not focus on this relation. It takes as a broad interpretive principle that Descartes wanted to justify a certain picture of matter with his metaphysics, but it focuses its own efforts on the way in which metaphysics and science meet in Descartes' theory of sense-perception. Vinci aims to show that Descartes gave an important positive role to sense-perception in his epistemology, and also that he used his reflections on sense-perception to frame his criticism of previous theories of the sensory qualities of objects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Important Descartes
This is an important book on Descartes by a U Pitt veteran.I also recommend Williams (Descartes) and Broughton ("D and the Method of Doubt"/Princeton UP), as well as Stroud's Quest for Reality (Oxford UP), MD Wilson, "Ideas and Mechanisms."

Vinci's book is an extremely careful reading of D's Meditations.Chapter Two: "Truth, Existence and Ideas" is excellent.Some of the more important material here is in Chapter Four: "Sense Experience of Primary Qualities," as well as Chapter Five: "Perceptual Representation of Ordinary Objects."

This book deserves my highest recommendation and is an excellent introduction (as well as rigorous) to a "historical" Descartes--how D's project is relevant and contributes to current philosophy of mind discussions, esp. in perceptual knowledge.

I also recommend Sellars' EPM and McDowell. ... Read more