The Rationalists: Descartes: Discourse on Method & Meditations; Spinoza: Ethics; Leibniz: Monadology & Discourse on Metaphysics

The Anchor volume "The Rationalists" is a very handy one-volume compilation of the central texts of 17th Century Continental philosophy. Included are Descartes' "Discourse on Method" and "Meditations," Spinoza's "Ethics," and Leibnitz's "Discourse on Metaphysics" and the "Monadology." The only really famous text excluded here is Spinoza's "De Emendatione," but the inexpensive Prometheus Books paperback of the "Ethics" includes that. This handsome, portable paperback allows one to explore the development of Rationalist thinking chronologically from Descartes to Leibnitz without suffering the bloody-chunks omissions imposed by most undergrad philosophy texts. And the absence of scholarly commentary thankfully allows the reader to immerse herself fully in the preoccupations of these thinkers without constant hectoring about how they "failed"; instead, each of these multifaceted thinkers can prod the reader on their own terms. This is a wonderful volume not only for the philosopher or student of philosophy, but for theologians, historians, and even artists-- these three have much to say that is still pertinent for any reflective person.