Descartes: A Biography

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 Descartes: A Biography

weused our leisure hours in this pleasant occupation, to the extent that our great and

important affairs permitted. However, we were sad to find ourselves deprived by death

of such a great and illustrious teacher...and, moreover, we certify by these presents

that he contributed greatly to our glorious conversion and that Providence used

him...to provide us with the first light of Catholicism. His grace and mercy later

caused us to embrace the truths of the Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman religion which

the said Mr. Descartes had always constantly professed and in which he died with all

the signs of genuine piety...AugustatHamburg.

Unfortunately, the Church of Saint Genevi`eve was not to be the final

resting place for Descartes’ mortal remains. Even the integrity of his

remains had been questioned since their removal to France in a cas-

ket designed for ease of transport rather than for the preservation of

an integral corpse.The tomb in the Church of Saint Genevieve sur-`

vived until, when the church fell into disuse following the French

Revolution. The National Convention decided,October,totransfer

his remains to the Pantheon. Before this plan was implemented, however,

the remains were moved once again to a temporary tomb in the Jardin

Elys ́ee des Monuments Franc ̧ais, where they remained until. The

politicians of the day evidently lost enthusiasm for their original decree,

that ‘Ren ́e Descartes merited the honours due to great men’ and that ‘the

body of this philosopher shall be transferred to the French Pantheon.’

Twenty-seven years later, it was suggested that he be reburied in the

P`ere Lachaise cemetery. This plan was also abandoned in due course, and

Descartes’ remains were reburied for the last time in the nave of the for-

mer Benedictine monastery of Saint-Germain-des-Pres. On ́ February

, Descartes’ remains were finally interred together with the remains

of two famous Benedictines, Jean Mabillon (–) and Bernard

de Montfaucon (–). Mabillon and Montfaucon had both been

members of one of the most celebrated Benedictine communities in

France, at St. Maur in Paris. It was suppressed during the Revolution,

and its demise was officially acknowledged in, when Pope Pius VII

dissolved the community.

The fate of Descartes’ remains reflects his life-long penchant for chang-

ing residence and his ambivalent relationship with both France and the

Catholic Church. He failed to be honoured among the ‘great men’ who

deserved burial in the Pantheon, and he found a final resting place, fol-

lowing five burials, beneath a bust of Mabillon in the church of a former

Benedictine monastery in Paris.