DESCARTES’S THEORY OF ACTION BRILL’S STUDIES IN INTELLECTUAL HISTORY General Editor A.J.Vanderjagt, University of Groningen Editorial Board C.S. Celenza, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore M. Colish, Oberlin College J.I. Israel, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton J.D. North, University of Groningen W. Otten, Utrecht University VOLUME142 DESCARTES’S THEORY OF ACTION BY ANNE ASHLEY DAVENPORT BRILL LEIDEN •BOSTON 2006 Cover illustration: Saint Jeanne de Chantal in Meditation, by Elvire Jan (School of Manessier), 1975. Ink on wood. Private collection. Photo Leon Golub. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Davenport, Anne Ashley. Descartes’s theory of action / by Anne Davenport. p. cm. — (Brill’s studies in intellectual history, ISSN 0920-8607 ; v. 142) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-90-04-15205-2 (hardback : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 90-04-15205-9 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Descartes, René, 1596-1650. 2. Act (Philosophy) I. Title. II. Series. B1878.A27D38 2006 128’.4092—dc22 2006043935 ISSN 0920-8607 ISBN-13:978-90-04-15205-2 ISBN-10:90-04-15205-9 © Copyright 2006 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill Academic Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers, MA01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands ToLeon,sidereusnuncius CONTENTS Preface ................................................................ ix ChapterOne.Spiritual DirectorsandSpiritual Action............. 1 1.1. MentalActionintheIgnatianExercises.................... 7 1.2. FrancisofSales............................................... 11 1.3. PierredeBérulle ............................................. 15 ChapterTwo.PassionandActioninRuleXII...................... 23 2.1. Actionsvs.Passions .......................................... 27 2.2. TheWillinAction ........................................... 31 2.3. JudgingSimpleNatures...................................... 37 ChapterThree.TheInsightsofOrthopraxy........................ 41 3.1. TheWorldWithoutAristotle................................ 43 3.2. MathematicalTruths......................................... 48 ChapterFour.ADiscourseonResolve .............................. 61 4.1. Trying......................................................... 63 4.2. PromiseandAkrasia ......................................... 66 4.3. ResolveandSelf-Reform .................................... 71 4.4. BettingonAgentCausation ................................. 79 4.5. BasicAction .................................................. 82 ChapterFive.TempusadAgendum:theTimetoAct.............. 87 ChapterSix.BasicActionRevisited................................. 101 ChapterSeven.IRefrain, ThereforeIam .......................... 121 7.1. EgoandAgency.............................................. 122 7.2. EgoandImmateriality....................................... 136 7.3. Light(Reason)andFire(Death)............................. 141 viii contents ChapterEight.InductionandInfinity............................... 145 8.1. Thepowertoreasonunrestrictedly ......................... 146 8.2. MagnitudeandOrder ....................................... 152 8.3. Causation..................................................... 157 8.4. Infinity........................................................ 161 ChapterNine.ActionandIndividuation............................ 173 9.1. Myexistence,myNothingness .............................. 179 9.2. Theodicy ..................................................... 185 9.3. Myerrors,myaction......................................... 189 ChapterTen.BeyondObedienceandIndifference................. 197 10.1. TheWill’sPropensity ........................................ 207 10.2.Freedomofconsent .......................................... 219 ChapterEleven.IsFreeAgencyRequired forthePerceptionof Truth? .............................................................. 229 11.1. IntentionalityanditsObjects................................ 231 11.2. VelimNolim .................................................... 241 11.3. God’s(unbracketable) existence ............................. 247 11.4. BeyondAutarchy............................................. 251 11.5. Summary..................................................... 256 ChapterTwelve.AgencyandtheOrderofNature................. 259 12.1. NaturalWisdom.............................................. 262 12.2.TrustandBelief .............................................. 268 12.3.DoctusaNatura.............................................. 276 12.4.Ordinemnaturaepervertere....................................... 285 12.5. TrustandCorrigibility....................................... 288 12.6.TrustandProvidence ........................................ 292 Bibliography .......................................................... 299 Index .................................................................. 303