end CUNYB/Clarke December, :
Notes to Pages–.Cf. the clarification offered in theConversation with Burman. When Burman asked
Descartes to explain how body and mind could interact if their natures were as
different as he claimed, he replied: ‘This is very difficult to explain. However,
experience suffices in this context, because it is so clear in this case that it cannot
possibly be denied, as is apparent in the case of the passions, etc.’ (v.).
.Arnauld (),.
.A similar conclusion appears in the final sentence (numbered)ofWittgenstein’s
Tractatus: ‘What we cannot speak about we must pass over in silence.’ Wittgenstein
(),.
.Descartes to Mersenne, June/July(v.–).
.Descartes to Picot,September(v.–).
.Descartes to Carcavi,June(v.).
.Carcavi to Descartes,July: ‘There is a Minim friar in Rome, called Father
Maignan, who is more intelligent that Father Mersenne....’(v.) Carcavi later
offered a gloss on this evaluation of Mersenne. In reply to Descartes’ defence, he
argued that Mersenne was well intentioned but did not always distinguish clearly
between personal and scientific disagreements. ‘As regards Father Mersenne, I
accused him only of what everyone who knew him noticed, namely, that he was
always absolutely blameless in his intentions, which were directed exclusively
towards a search for the truth....however, he seemed to me not always to dis-
tinguish adequately between those who dispute about some scientific questions
and others who fight with each other about their honour.’ Carcavi to Descartes,
September(v.)
.Baillet (), ii.. The meeting is confirmed by Sorbiere’s Preface to the`
complete works of Gassendi, published three years after his death. See Gassendi
(), I, p.(unpaginated).
.Elizabeth to Descartes,June(v.).
.Descartes to Elizabeth, June/July(v.). Elizabeth’s reply to this letter
refers to the ‘unexpected disturbances in France which...force you to return to
Holland’ (v.).
.Elizabeth to Descartes,August(v.).
.Descartes to Elizabeth, October(v.).
.Descartes to Picot,September(v.–).
.Descartes to Picot,December(v.).
.Editors’ note, v..
.Descartes to Picot,September(v.).
.These letters to Picot are reported in Baillet (), ii., and date from December
andFebruary(v.).
.Descartes to Chanut,February(v.–).
.Descartes to Chanut,February(v.).
.Chanut to Descartes,February(v.).
.Descartes to Chanut [April](v.–), in which he explains how Fleming
arrived unannounced in Egmond and why Descartes assumed that his invitation
to accompany him to Stockholm was merely an expression of extreme courtesy.