Descartes: A Biography

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 Descartes: A Biography

on oneside and Pascal on the other, corresponded closely to a later dispute

between Robert Boyle – a defender of the vacuum theory – and his equally

adamant critics, Hobbes, More, and another Jesuit called Father Linus.

In both disputes, there were misunderstandings, charges of irrationality,

appeals to observational evidence that was inadequate to resolve the ques-

tions involved, and an underlying failure to recognize the extent to which

the disputes were incapable of resolution in the terms in which they were

framed.

Before leaving Paris, Descartes was awarded an annual pension of,

livres, in recognition of his contribution to philosophy and as financial

support for the experiments required to complete his research. There

were no conditions attached – for example, he was not required to live

in France. Toward the end of September, then, with a promise of added

financial security from a royal pension, he set off again in the company of

Picot.

ATemporary Return to Egmond

Despite earlier misgivings, Descartes returned to Egmond with Picot

about the middle of October.They lived together in what Bail-

let described as ‘amiable solitude...and a laziness that was completely

philosophical’.Huygens heard about the royal pension from some inde-

pendent source, and he wrote almost immediately to ask Descartes if he was

now tempted to live in France.Huygens also added a second query. He

had been asking Descartes for many years to study chemistry–arequest

that fell on deaf ears – and he now asked if it was also true that, while in

France, he had met some renowned chemist and had brought him back to

Holland with him. If so, what did they plan to study together? Descartes’

reply to the first question was sufficiently ambivalent to leave everyone in

the dark about his future plans. He used it as another opportunity to com-

plain about the recent threats by the Leiden theologians, and to remind

Huygens of the protracted row with Voetius. His answer to the second

question was a simple denial.

As regards the famous chemist that you said I brought back with me from France, I

can assure you that I know nothing about him, unless one wished to honour with such

a title one of my intimate friends who does not at all claim to deserve it. It is Mr. Picot

who previously lived for more than a year at Endegeest when I was there, and who has

come once again to spend the winter here. He did this only on condition, and after