Descartes: A Biography

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 Descartes: A Biography

Since he was reading samples of the text in proofs, Mersenne objected

to the plan of publishing the scientific essays without the fundamental

theory on which they depended (namely,The World), and he questioned

whether Descartes had revealed enough about his method in the Preface.

In response to the second problem, Descartes wrote a lengthy clarification

of what he was trying to do.

I could not understand your objection to the title. For I do not say:Treatise on Method,

butDiscourse on Method, which is the same asPreface or Advice about Method,to show

that I have no intention of teaching it but merely of speaking about it. It is apparent

from what I say about it that it consists more in practice than in theory, and I call the

subsequent treatisesIllustrations of this Method, because I claim that the things they

contain could not have been found without it, just as I also include something about

metaphysics, physics and medicine in the first discourse, to show that it [the method]

applies to matters of all sorts. (i.)

However, in reply to continuing pressure to publishThe World,Descartes

laughed at the suggestion, apparently made by Mersenne, that he owed it

to the public to kill himself so that his writings could be released for pub-

lication. He assured the importunate Minim friar that the manuscript

ofThe Worldwas hidden so securely that, even if he were killed, it

would not be found ‘for more than a hundred years after my death’

(i.).

Given the lengthy negotiations involved in getting the French privi-

lege, Mersenne was not the only one who had a sneak preview of parts

of Descartes’ book. Beaugrand showed theDioptricsto Pierre Fermat

(–), who in turn sent some critical comments to Mersenne, and

Descartes sent extra copies of theDioptricsandMeteorsto Huygens for his

wife and his sister.When Huygens tried to read theGeometry,in March

,hefound it almost impenetrable.Mersenne’s apparent involve-

ment in releasing parts of the book, his request to the chancellor’s office

that an embarrassingly effusive privilege be written, and his evident com-

promising of the author’s anonymity, tested Descartes’ patience almost to

the breaking point.The reclusive philosopher in Leiden began to refer

to him as ‘the good monk’, and, although he acknowledged that he was

oneofhis best friends, he told Huygens that he had never read more of

any book by Mersenne than was possible to complete in half an hour – a

significant comment on such a prolix author.Eventually, he reached the

limits of his patience, and he wrote as follows: