A3 Book section, Chapters in research books
Introduction (2019)

Reuter, M., & Svensson, F. (2019). Introduction. In M. Reuter, & F. Svensson (Eds.), Mind, Body, and Morality : New Perspectives on Descartes and Spinoza (pp. 1-13). Routledge. Routledge Studies in Seventeenth-Century Philosophy, 19. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351202831-1

JYU authors or editors

Reuter, Martina

Publication details

All authors or editors: Reuter, Martina; Svensson, Frans

Parent publication: Mind, Body, and Morality : New Perspectives on Descartes and Spinoza

Parent publication editors: Reuter, Martina; Svensson, Frans

ISBN: 978-0-8153-8494-6

eISBN: 978-1-351-20283-1

Journal or series: Routledge Studies in Seventeenth-Century Philosophy

Publication year: 2019

Number in series: 19

Pages range: 1-13

Number of pages in the book: 274

Publisher: Routledge

Place of Publication: New York

Publication country: United States

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351202831-1

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/79755

Abstract

The introduction gives a brief overview of some important developments in recent scholarship on René Descartes and Baruch Spinoza. It is argued that there has been a shift of focus, away from Descartes-the-dualist towards an interest in Descartes’ ethics and his conception of the human being as a union of mind and body. This turn has also given rise to new perspectives on the relations between Descartes and Spinoza. After having presented the area of research covered by the volume, the introduction offers short presentations of the individual chapters. These are divided into three parts: the first part focusing on different features of Cartesian persons; the second discussing different aspects of ideas, knowledge, and reality in Descartes and Spinoza; and the final part examining how the two philosophers conceptualize will, virtue, generosity, and love.

Keywords: philosophy; Cartesianism; philosophy of mind; mind and body; theory of knowledge; morals; ethics