The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy in Early Modern Europe

In this Handbook twenty-six leading scholars survey the development of philosophy between the middle of the sixteenth century and the early eighteenth century. The five parts of the book cover metaphysics and natural philosophy; the mind, the passions, and aesthetics; epistemology, logic, mathematics, and language; ethics and political philosophy; and religion. The period between the publication of Copernicus's De Revolutionibus and Berkeley's reflections on Newton and Locke saw one of the most fundamental changes in the history of our way of thinking about the universe. This radical transformation of worldview was partly a response to what we now call the Scientific Revolution; it was equally a reflection of political changes that were no less fundamental, which included the establishment of nation-states and some of the first attempts to formulate a theory of international rights and justice. Finally, the Reformation and its aftermath undermined the apparent unity of the Christian church in Europe and challenged both religious beliefs that had been accepted for centuries and the interpretation of the Bible on which they had been based. The Handbook surveys a number of the most important developments in the philosophy of the period, as these are expounded both in texts that have since become very familiar and in other philosophical texts that are undeservedly less well-known. It also reaches beyond the philosophy to make evident the fluidity of the boundary with science, and to consider the impact on philosophy of historical and political events--explorations, revolutions and reforms, inventions and discoveries. Thus it not only offers a guide to the most important areas of recent research, but also offers some new questions for historians of philosophy to pursue and to have indicated areas that are ripe for further exploration. Intervienen 26 investigadores dedicados a la filosofía de mediados del siglo 16 y principios del 18. Se divide en cinco partes que cubren los siguientes aspectos: metafísica y filosofía de la naturaleza; mente, pasiones y estética; epistemología, lógica, matemáticas y lenguaje; ética y filosofía política; y religión. El periodo que abarca la publicación De Revolutilonibus de Copérnico y las reflexiones sobre Newton y Locke de Berkeley muestra uno de los más importantes y fundamentales cambios de la historia sobre nuestra forma de pensar el universo. Esta transformación radical de la visión del mundo en parte responde a lo que actualmente se llama Revolución Científica; fue, a la vez, una reflexión de los cambios políticos, que no por ello fueron menos importantes y que incluían el establisment del estado nación y alguno de los primeros intentos para formular una teoría internacional sobre derecho y justicia. Se expone la Reforma y sus indeterminadas repercusiones sobre la aparente unidad de la iglesia en Europa, el reto de las creencias de las religiones que habían sido aceptadas durante siglos, y la interpretación de la Biblia sobre las que se habían basado. Se estudian los desarrollos más importantes de este periodo filosófico, tanto los que han sido expuestos en textos que han llegado a ser muy familiares como aquellos que son, inmerecidamente, peor conocidos. Además, se va más allá de la filosofía y se hace evidente la fluidez de la frontera con respecto a la ciencia, y se considera el impacto de la filosofía de la historia y de los eventos políticos -- exploraciones, revoluciones y reformas, invenciones y descubrimientos. Se ofrece una guía de las áreas más importantes de la investigación actual, y, finalmente, también se ofrecen nuevos temas para los historiadores de la filosofía que quieren indagar en mayor profundidad The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy in Early Modern Europe is a survey of the development of philosophy between the middle of the sixteenth century and the early eighteenth century, by twenty-six leading scholars, who cover the following five areas: metaphysics and natural philosophy; the mind, the passions, and aesthetics; epistemology, logic, mathematics, and language; ethics and political philosophy; religion. The period between the publication of Copernicus's De Revolutionibus and Berkeley's reflections on Newton and Locke saw one of the most fundamental changes in the history of our way of thinking about the universe. This radical transformation of worldview was partly a response to what we now call the Scientific Revolution; it was equally a reflection of political changes that were no less fundamental, which included the establishment of nation-states and some of the first attempts to formulate a theory of international rights and justice. The Reformation and its aftermath undermined the apparent unity of the Christian church in Europe and challenged both religious beliefs that had been accepted for centuries and the interpretation of the Bible on which they had been based. The Handbook surveys a number of the most important developments in the philosophy of the period, as these are expounded both in texts that have since become very familiar and in other philosophical texts that are undeservedly less well-known. It also reaches beyond the philosophy to make evident the fluidity of the boundary with science, and to consider the impact on philosophy of historical and political events — explorations, revolutions and reforms, inventions and discoveries Cover 1 Contents 6 Notes on Contributors 9 Abbreviations 13 Introduction 16 PART I : METAPHYSICS AND NATURAL PHILOSOPHY 24 1. Essences and Kinds 26 2. From Causes to Laws 47 3. Space and Time 66 4. The Mechanical Philosophy 86 5. Machines, Souls, and Vital Principles 111 PART II : THE MIND, THE PASSIONS, AND AESTHETICS 131 6. The Soul 133 7. Ideas 156 8. Qualities and Sensory Perception 174 9. The Passions 196 10. Aesthetics 215 PART III : EPISTEMOLOGY, LOGIC, MATHEMATICS, AND LANGUAGE 239 11. Scepticism 241 12. Hypotheses 263 13. Language and Semiotics 286 14. Form, Reason, and Method 309 15. Instruments of Knowledge 329 16. Picturability and Mathematical Ideals of Knowledge 352 PART IV: ETHICS AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY 375 17. Virtue and Vice 377 18. Egoism and Morality 395 19. Realism and Relativism in Ethics 417 20. The Free Will Problem 438 21. The Equality of Men and Women 459 22. Natural Law as Political Philosophy 489 23. Sovereignty and Obedience 514 PART V: RELIGION 537 24. Conceptions of God 539 25. The Epistemology of Religious Belief 562 Index 605 A team of leading scholars survey the development of philosophy in the period of extraordinary intellectual change from the mid-16th century to the early 18th century. They cover metaphysics and natural philosophy; the mind, the passions, and aesthetics; epistemology, logic, mathematics, and language; and religion