Cartesianism and Political Theory

Political theory never stands by itself. Any theoretical explanation of politics depends on attitudes and positions which stem from metaphysics, theology, ethics, or science. An understanding of the political thought of a man, then, will require some insight into the relationship between his politics and the presuppositions on which it is based. To write about the political theory of Descartes, however, presents special difficulties, for Descartes cannot be considered an important political thinker in his own right. His actual references to politics are scant. His influence on later thinkers did not arise from his thought about politics. Nevertheless, in political theory Descartes must be considered, for it was Descartes who set the patterns of speculative thought after him, including thought about politics. After Descartes the scientific and mechanical orientations of thought replaced the traditional Christian and Aristotelian molds in which politics had been considered

Cartesianism · Epistemology · Metaphysics · Political philosophy · Political science · Politics · Presupposition · Law · Philosophy · Seventeenth-Century Political and Philosophical Thought

• Descartes y su física

  Open Access•Gonzalo Ricci Cernadas•Andamios•2023

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• The Early Modern Attack on Teleology and the Politics of Contemporary Psychology

  Open Access•Riley Paterson•Human Arenas•2024

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• Pascal beyond two worlds

  Patrice Pinell, Phillip M Pinell•The Seventeenth Century•2025

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• Political Theory among Cartesians

  Open Access•Christian Henkel•History of European Ideas•2025

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• Individualism and Intellectual Liberty in Tocqueville and Descartes

  L Joseph Hebert•The Journal of Politics•2007

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• The Philosophical Works of Descartes

  Elizabeth S Haldane, G R T Ross•The Philosophical Works of…•1934

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• Etudes de Philosophie Ancienne et de Philosophie Moderne

  G S Brett, V Brochard et al.•The Philosophical Review•1912

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• Essais sur Descartes

  Philip Paul Wiener, Henri Gouhier et al.•The Philosophical Review•1939

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• The Cartesian Deformation of the Structure of Change and its Influence on Modern Thought

  John Wild•The Philosophical Review•1941

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• The Logical and the Real in Political Theory

  Open Access•Charles N R Mccoy•American Political Science Review•1954

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• The Turning-Point in Political Philosophy

  Open Access•Charles N R Mccoy•American Political Science Review•1950

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• The Place of Machiavelli in the History of Political Thought

  Open Access•Charles N R Mccoy•American Political Science Review•1943

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