A Descartes Dictionary (The Blackwell Philosophers Dictionaries)

To confront the Cartesian system is to contemplate a magnificently laid out map of human cognitive endeavour. To follow Descartes' arguments is to be drawn into some of the most fundamental and challenging issues in philosophy. In this "Dictionary", Cottingham presents an alphabetized guide to this most daunting of philosophers. Key concepts and ideas in Cartesian thought are traced through Descartes' writings, and put in the context of the 17th-century intellectual climate and subsequent interpretation. The newcomer to Descartes, whether student or general reader, should find thorough guidance from "cogito ergo sum" to "trademark agreement". Key ideas on many topics such as the cosmos, physics, theology and immortality of the soul are fully covered, and there is a bibliographic guide to the mass of interpretetive literature on Descartes, as well as on his own writings.