Enlightenment and Action from Descartes to Kant: Passionate Thought / Edition 1

by Michael Losonsky

Overview

This is the first book to trace systematically the philosophical origins and development of the idea that the improvement of human understanding requires public activity, through discussion of the work of Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Spinoza, and Leibniz. Challenging the traditional views of 17th century philosophy and written in lucid, nontechnical language, it will be sought by historians of philosophy and students of the history of ideas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521806121
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	08/13/2001
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.55(d)
Lexile:	1380L (what's this?)

Table of Contents

Preface; List of abbreviations; 1. Introduction: the enlightened mind; 2. Descartes: willful thinking; 3. Hobbes: passionate thinking; 4. Locke: uneasy thinking; 5. Enthusiasm: inspired thinking; 6. Spinoza: resolute thinking; 7. Leibniz: trained thinking; 8. Conclusion: the public mind; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"...Losonsky has put a range of new issues onto the table and he has made a[n] admirable start at unraveling the question of the relationship of the reform of knowledge to private virtue on one hand and to contributions to the public weal on the other, as these tasks were conceived in the 17th century." Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

From the Publisher