Cartesian Truth [Hardcover]

Thomas C. Vinci (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195113292 | ISBN-13: 978-0195113297 | Publication Date: April 23, 1998

Bold and pioneering, this book makes a detailed historical and systematic case that Descartes's theory of knowledge is an elegant and powerful combination of a priori, naturalistic, and dialectical elements meriting serious consideration by both contemporary analytic philosophers and postmodern thinkers. In the course of making this case Thomas Vinci develops a broad reinterpretation of Cartesian thought that unlocks novel solutions to many of the most vexed questions in Cartesian scholarship.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Cartesian Truth offers a careful philosophical reconstruction of central parts of Descartes's metaphysics and his theory of perception, each considered in relation to Descartes's epistemology. Vinci aims to further our contemporary understanding of what Wilfrid Sellars called the relation between the 'scientific' and 'manifest' images of the world, thereby establishing the continuing interest of Descartes's epistemology. Of the many substantial original contributions here, most notable perhaps is Vinci's examination of the important positive role Descartes gave to sense perception in his epistemology, and of the use to which Descartes put his reflections on sense perception in framing his criticism of previous theories of the sensory qualities of objects.

[Hatfield cont.] Vinci offers new insights in his examination of Descartes's theory of the cognition of object properties, and especially of the so-called 'primary qualities.' On other key Cartesian philosophical arguments and positions, Vinci offers analysis of equal depth and interest. Overall, this penetrating work shows that the project of speculative argumentative reconstruction is alive and well."--Gary Hatfield, University of Pennsylvania

About the Author

Thomas C. Vinci is at Dalhousie University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 23, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195113292
• ISBN-13: 978-0195113297
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,804,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important Descartes, October 5, 2002

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This review is from: Cartesian Truth (Hardcover)

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.