Pierre Bayle's Cartesian Metaphysics: Rediscovering Early Modern Philosophy (Routledge Studies in Seventeenth-Century Philosophy)

In his magnum opus, the Historical and Critical Dictionary , Pierre Bayle offered a series of brilliant criticisms of the major philosophical and theological systems of the 17 th Century. Although officially skeptical concerning the attempt to provide a definitive account of the truths of metaphysics, there is reason to see Bayle as a reluctant skeptic. In particular, Todd Ryan contends that Bayle harbored deep sympathy for the attempt by Descartes and his most innovative successor, Nicolas Malebranche, to establish a metaphysical system that would provide a foundation for the new mechanistic natural philosophy while helping to secure the fundamental tenets of rational theology. Through a careful analysis of Bayle’s critical engagement with such philosophers as Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke and Newton, it is argued that, despite his reputation as a skeptic, Bayle was not without philosophical commitments of his own. Drawing on the full range of Bayle’s writings, from his early philosophical lectures to his final controversial writings, Ryan offers detailed studies of Bayle’s treatment of such pivotal issues as mind-body dualism, causation and God’s relation to the world. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 8 Abbreviations and Editions......Page 10 Preface......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 1 Bayle and Cartesianism......Page 23 2 Mind-Body Dualism......Page 48 3 Critique of Lockean Superaddition......Page 65 4 The Problem of Causation......Page 78 5 Leibniz and the Preestablished Harmony......Page 110 6 Spinoza’s Monism......Page 129 7 Mechanism and Natural Theology......Page 152 Notes......Page 176 Bibliography......Page 224 Index......Page 234 This book offers a series of detailed studies of Bayle’s engagement with such crucial metaphysical issues as mind-body dualism, causation, and God’s relation to the world. It is argued that despite his reputation as a skeptic, Bayle is deeply influenced by the metaphysical systems of Descartes, and especially Nicolas Malebranche.