Descartes: A Biography

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Retreat and Defence (–) 

As long as I can live as I wish, I shall always remain in the country – as I currently

do in a corner of north Holland – in some region where I cannot be pestered by my

neighbours’ visits. That is the only reason that made me prefer this country to my

own, and I am so used to it now that I have no desire to change. (ii.–)

The peaceful life in pastoral surroundings described here fails to mention

the extent to which Descartes was distracted, not by intrusive neighbours,

butbyepistolary interventions from afar. His geographical seclusion was

interrupted by sustained criticisms of his work and by his equally vigorous

defence of the views expressed in theEssays.

Each week the messenger delivered a steady stream of letters in response

to the public invitation to readers, in theDiscourse,tosubmit objections

so that the author could either reply to them or correct his writings. He

even considered publishing the objections and replies together, ‘as soon

as there are enough of them to make a book’ (i.).While this plan

was eventually abandoned, it helps explain why Descartes wrote so many

detailed and lengthy letters during these transitional years. There were

objections to almost everything he wrote in theEssays. Some of the most

interesting queries concerned the kind of evidence Descartes claimed in

support of his theories, while the most acrimonious by far related to his

mathematics.

An Invitation to Critics

When Descartes published theEssayshe did not follow the customary

practice of dedicating his book officially to a powerful patron. However,

he tried to realize the same goal unofficially by arranging to have copies

sent to influential readers and potential patrons in the United Provinces,

in France, and even in Rome.He also sent copies to a number of Jesuits,

hoping perhaps that his ideas might filter into their school curriculum in

France and, possibly, elsewhere in Europe.There was a third privileged

group who got complimentary copies: those who were prominent in the

artistic and academic life of the United Provinces, including the few read-

ers whom Descartes thought were capable of reading theGeometryand

forwhom he reserved specially bound copies of the work.

Toall and sundry he sent the same official message: please send me your

frank comments on the enclosed, to help me correct errors. The style of

the invitation to Father Noel may have been more deferential than usual, ̈