Descartes: The Life and Times of a Genius

This book brings up a very intersting set of connections that seem to explain a lot. True to program this book's focus is on biography instead of philosophy. But the biographical insights are well worth the read on their own. There is a good summary of Descartes' philosophical position in the first appendix. One surprise is how little mention there is of Spinoza especially in those sections that presents Descartes' impact on those who followed him. All in all, this is an excellent book to recommend to those students that want to spend some time on Descartes in an introductory course.

This is a very readable, enjoyable and informative book. Professor Grayling takes a lot of time putting Descartes into his proper historical context, which I think is essential to understanding him, or any philosopher. Even abstract ideas don't develop without any reference to what is going on at the time. The problem of reconciling faith with the nascent scientific revolution, the relation between the new anatomy and the locus of the mind, and religious wars of the 17th century were pivotal to the evolution of Descartes' thought. Grayling naturally emphasizes Descartes' philosophical ideas rather than his mathematical or scientific ones, though these also are discussed. Grayling also gives us as good a look as we can get at the motives and preferences of so private a person: the expensive green silk suit that he bought in hopes of securing a title show us a man who is vain rather than austere, despite his reclusive life in the Netherlands, for example. HIs arrogance was as expected, but not his pettiness towards, for example, Beeckman. And that he composed librettos for Queen Christina was a real surprise.

As A.C. Grayling reveals here - we live in a world largely made by Descartes' ideas and philosophy, which have changed how we view nature and scientific inquiry itself. Given his importance it's amazing to note relatively few biographies cover his life, so college-level and public lending libraries will want to add DESCARTES to any serious collection strong in science or philosophy. A highly recommended addition to biography collections, DESCARTES consists of deftly written chapters consider his life, influences, contributions and approach and offers up a well-rounded view of his many achievements. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

I enjoyed reading this book. I am not a philosophy maven but have always been interested in metaphysics. For me, Grayling's writing is clear and compelling. Descartes as a man and philosopher and his ideas and historical context all get equal treatment. The subtext of Descartes as a spy is interesting and provides good explanation for his constant movement, especially in his younger years. This is the only Descartes biography I've read but I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in him. A section of color and b/w plates help illuminate the subject. There are extensive footnotes. The first of two appendices provides modern context and perspective for Descartes' greatest contributions. The second appendix is a critique of philosopher biographies intended (in my opinion) to point the reader towards additional "good reads."

Decartes was indeed a genius, born at a time when the ideas basic to scientific inquiry were beginning to take hold, and a time when Catholic church had tremendous power and enforced a thinking that only the church had the answers. Descartes was alive in 1633, when Galileo was condemned by the Roman Catholic Church, and Descartes abandoned plans to publish 'Treatise on the World,' his work of the previous four years. 'The World' wasn't published until 1664, 14 years after his death. Decartes was one of the towering figures of philosophy (I think, therefore I am), mathematics (The inventor of the Cartesian coordinate system still in use today. He also founded analytic geometry, that bridge between algebra and geometry crucial to the invention of the calculus and analysis.), optics, and more. This new biography of Descartes adds the possibility of yet another profession to Descartes, that of being a spy. As a devout Catholic, trained by the Jesuits) he was a witness numerous pivotal events leading to the Thirty Years War, and there is a supposition that he reported these back to the Catholics.