The Rationalists: History of Western Philosophy 4

This work appears to be the best introduction to rationalism as a 17th century school of thought. Beside presenting in a lucid and not oversimplified way the ideas of Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz, Cottingham situates them both in historical context and in the context of contemporary debates like those of philosophy of mind (certainly so far as we can expect from an introductory work). Oversimplification often harms books like those of the Opus series, so that it often ends up in a book without much content. Cottingham's might be the best in the series. There are some weaknesses in the Leibniz part. Otherwise best introduction.