Descartes: A Biography

c CUNYB/Clarke     December, :

Metaphysics in a Hornet’s Nest (–) 

to use for writing my Philosophy in such an order that it can be taught easily. The

first part, which I am doing at the moment, contains almost the same things as the

Meditationsthat you have, except that it is in a completely different style, for what is

spelled out at length in one is more abridged in the other and vice versa. (iii.)

He wrote about the same time to a Jesuit, telling him dishonestly that one

of his friends was preparing a book in which Descartes’ philosophy was

compared to what was taught in the schools, and asking advice about what

to include or exclude.However, while he was still trying to provoke the

Jesuits into writing a response to theMeditations, and reserving the option

(if all else failed) of targeting one of their texts in his systematic critique

of scholastic philosophy, he gave up entirely the idea of including Eustace

of St. Paul’s textbook, with Cartesian notes, in a future publication.

In January,Constantijn Huygens was still asking ‘for some news

ofThe World’ (iii.). Descartes seemed willing to consider publishing

The World, partly in response to what he called ‘these scholastic wars’

(iii.). However, if he were to publish it he would first ‘teach it to speak

Latin, and...would have it called aSumma of Philosophy,sothat it could

be introduced more easily in the discussions of the people in the schools’

(iii.). He had to admit, however, that the same scholastics were cur-

rently trying to smother it before it was born, and that this applied

equally to Jesuit priests and Calvinist ministers. Of course, he had already

embarked on rewriting both theMeditationsandThe Worldin a format

that would be suitable for use in schools, and he wrote confidently about

this plan to Father Dinet in May(vii.).

In the meantime, Descartes was to become involved in controversy

again, on this occasion with the rector of Utrecht University, Gisbertus

Voetius. This was a very public controversy in which he pitted his ener-

gies against one of the best-known Calvinist theologians at the time in

the United Provinces, and in which he provided unstinting support for

his philosophical proteg ́e, Henricus Regius. Within a few later years, ́

Descartes was to turn his wrath on Regius too. The pattern of his life

was degenerating into a sequence of lengthy unresolved controversies, in

the course of which he accused both friends and foes of failing to under-

stand him.