Descartes: A Biography

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 Descartes: A Biography

In keeping with his earlier views, Descartes was arguing for a clear

distinction between (a) philosophical theories (including natural philoso-

phy), which must be understood and supported by evidence, and (b) the

truths of revelation. The latter should be accepted at face value, without

drawing any conclusions from them for philosophy. One of the implica-

tions of this way of doing theology was to read the Scriptures as if they

were written in a style that was adjusted ‘simply to our way of understand-

ing’ (v.). In that way, the six days of Genesis should be understood

metaphorically. By quoting parts of the text in Hebrew, Descartes showed

signs of his efforts some years earlier to study Hebrew and to read the

Bible in the original language. However, he also argued that one should

be free to use philosophy at least to show that what is believed on faith is

not unreasonable, as Descartes had tried to do in the case of transubstan-

tiation. Whatever approach was adopted, one could find no advantage for

religion or for the faith of Christian believers in leading theology down

the cul-de-sac of scholastic controversies.

AVisit to Paris during the Fronde

Descartes’ friends in Paris arranged for a certificate of his royal pen-

sion, written on parchment and ornately sealed, to be delivered to him in

Holland as an inducement to return to his native country. As Baillet pointed

out, it was very improbable that the court under Mazarin’s control had

issued the same pension twice.However, Descartes confirms the story

in a letter he wrote to Chanut the following year, in which he expresses his

great disappointment with almost every feature of what he had expected

to be a triumphant return to his fatherland. The theme of his letter was

fortune, which had disappointed him on each of the three visits he had

made to Paris ‘since I retired to this country, but particularly on the most

recent one, which I was commanded to undertake as if on behalf of the

king’.

Toconvince me to make the journey, I was sent letters written on parchment and

ornately sealed, which contained eulogies that were much more generous than I

deserved and the gift of a rather significant pension. Besides, in letters from those

who sent me the king’s letter, I was promised a lot more as soon as I arrived in Paris.

However, as soon as I was there, the unexpected troubles resulted in the fact that,

instead of seeing those promises implemented, I found that one of my friends had had

to pay the costs of sending me the letters and that I had to repay him. Thus I seem to