Descartes: A Biography

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 Descartes: A Biography

clear idea of constructing a general theory of the universe that would

fundamentally challenge the traditional picture of the world that was

almost universally taught at universities. For four years, he worked more or

less exclusively on the manuscript ofThe World.Hegavefrequent reports

to Mersenne of progress made, of unanticipated delays, and of the frus-

trations involved in collecting the experimental data required to complete

various parts of the project. However, when the book was eventually ready

to show Mersenne, Descartes heard about Galileo’s trial by the Roman

Inquisition and deferred its publication indefinitely.The World– the first

fruits of many years of speculation – unfortunately remained unpublished

until after the author’s death.

Despite the self-censorship to which Descartes succumbed, this

manuscript included the core of his entire philosophy and his most signifi-

cant contribution to the scientific revolution. Nevertheless, it was not orig-

inally planned as such. Rather, it evolved gradually, over time, in response

to reports of novel observations and requests for explanations of unusual

phenomena, until the final scope of the enterprise was much wider than

originally envisaged. It began, as might be expected, with Descartes’ work

onoptics, which he had already initiated in Paris.

Franeker,

Franeker had been a university city since, and it provided a first,

temporary lodging for Descartes in the United Provinces. He matriculated

as a student in the arts faculty at Franeker onApril, and lived in a

small castle in the town that belonged to the Sjaerdema family. Descartes

apparently lived there for about six months, within the walls of the city

butseparated from other houses by a moat. He thus enjoyed not only

the privacy that he claimed to need for his studies, but also the secrecy

required to attend Mass in a town that was officially hostile to Catholic

religious services.

Why Franeker, in the far north of Friesland? It may have been because

Adriaan Metius (–) was professor of mathematics there, and

Descartes was aware that his brother Jacobus, who lived in Alkmaar, had

contributed to the discovery of the telescope.It is clear from correspon-

dence in Junewith Jean Ferrier, who lived in Paris, that Descartes’

primary interest during this period was to develop a machine for grinding