Descartes: A Biography

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 Descartes: A Biography

Descartes opened up a much bigger ‘hornet’s nest’ on this occasion than

anything that might have resulted from Jesuit criticism in France. The

reason why he told Father Dinet about this whole episode in such detail,

however, is obvious. He wanted to describe what happens when those in

authority abuse their power in order to suppress the free discussion of

ideas that is required for philosophical inquiry. Since he was trying to

persuade Father Dinet to act against Father Bourdin, he stopped short of

describing the latter in the same terms as Voetius. However, the implied

analogy between the two critics was obvious. Descartes was inviting all

those who disagreed with his philosophy to publish their criticisms, and

he was particularly requesting that his views not be criticized in private

(for example, in disputations in Jesuit colleges), in circumstances in which

he could not reply. The suppression of Cartesian ideas at Utrecht was just

another recent, relevant, and particularly galling example of the behaviour

about which he complained. He evidently hoped that the French Jesuits

would not follow the same pattern as his Calvinist critics in a neighbouring

Dutch province.

In the course of defending the freedom of philosophers to propose

novel ideas, Descartes also quoted from the university’s decision, which

was sufficiently well known to undermine the appearance of confidentiality

or anonymity that he adopted:

The Professors of the Academy of∗∗∗...reject this new philosophy. Firstly, because

it is opposed to the traditional philosophy which universities in the whole world have

hitherto taught on the best advice, and it undermines its foundations. Secondly, it

turns young people away from the ancient, sound philosophy and prevents them from

reaching the pinnacle of erudition because, by relying on this pretence of philosophy,

they can no longer understand the technical terms used in the books of renowned

authors and the lectures and disputes of their professors. Finally, various false or

absurd views either follow from the new philosophy or can be deduced rashly from it

by na ̈ıve young people, which are inconsistent with other disciplines and faculties and

especially with orthodox theology. (vii.–)

Descartes had stretched the limits of Dutch hospitality by publishing

an open letter to Dinet in Amsterdam. Local readers might not have

noticed his critical remarks initially, since they were written in Latin.

However, Jean Batelier (–), a Remonstrant opponent of Voetius,

translated into Dutch the part of the Dinet letter that concerned Voetius

and published it in.Itwas impossible subsequently for the theology

faculty at Utrecht to ignore Descartes’ criticism or to fail to reply. While