Reforming the Art of Living

Nature, Virtue, and Religion in Descartes's Epistemology

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Epistemology, Ethics & Moral Philosophy
Cover of the book Reforming the Art of Living by Rico Vitz, Springer International Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Rico Vitz ISBN: 9783319052816
Publisher: Springer International Publishing Publication: October 20, 2014
Imprint: Springer Language: English
Author: Rico Vitz
ISBN: 9783319052816
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Publication: October 20, 2014
Imprint: Springer
Language: English

Descartes’s concern with the proper method of belief formation is evident in the titles of his works—e.g., The Search after Truth, The Rules for the Direction of the Mind and The Discourse on Method of rightly conducting one’s reason and seeking the truth in the sciences. It is most apparent, however, in his famous discussions, both in the Meditations and in the Principles, of one particularly noteworthy source of our doxastic errors—namely, the misuse of one’s will. What is not widely recognized, let alone appreciated and understood, is the relationship between his concern with belief formation and his concern with virtue. In fact, few seem to realize that Descartes regards doxastic errors as moral errors and as sins both because such errors are intrinsically vicious and because they entail notably deleterious social consequences.

Reforming the Art of Living seeks to rectify this rather common oversight in two ways. First, it aims to elucidate the nature of Descartes’s account of virtuous belief formation. Second, it aims both (i) to illuminate the social significance of Descartes’s philosophical program as it relates to the understanding and practice not of science, but of religion and (ii) to develop a kind of Leibnizian critique of this aspect of his program. More specifically, it aims to show that Descartes’s project is “dangerous,” insofar as it is subversive not only of traditional Christianity but also of other traditional forms of religion, both in theory and in practice.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Descartes’s concern with the proper method of belief formation is evident in the titles of his works—e.g., The Search after Truth, The Rules for the Direction of the Mind and The Discourse on Method of rightly conducting one’s reason and seeking the truth in the sciences. It is most apparent, however, in his famous discussions, both in the Meditations and in the Principles, of one particularly noteworthy source of our doxastic errors—namely, the misuse of one’s will. What is not widely recognized, let alone appreciated and understood, is the relationship between his concern with belief formation and his concern with virtue. In fact, few seem to realize that Descartes regards doxastic errors as moral errors and as sins both because such errors are intrinsically vicious and because they entail notably deleterious social consequences.

Reforming the Art of Living seeks to rectify this rather common oversight in two ways. First, it aims to elucidate the nature of Descartes’s account of virtuous belief formation. Second, it aims both (i) to illuminate the social significance of Descartes’s philosophical program as it relates to the understanding and practice not of science, but of religion and (ii) to develop a kind of Leibnizian critique of this aspect of his program. More specifically, it aims to show that Descartes’s project is “dangerous,” insofar as it is subversive not only of traditional Christianity but also of other traditional forms of religion, both in theory and in practice.

More books from Springer International Publishing

Cover of the book Towards an EU-Taiwan Investment Agreement by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Mathematical Models and Numerical Simulation in Electromagnetism by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Philosophy of Systems Biology by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Ferroelectric Domain Walls by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Cancer Care in Countries and Societies in Transition by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Performance Characterization and Benchmarking. Traditional to Big Data by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Measures of Symmetry for Convex Sets and Stability by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Nature-Inspired Design of Hybrid Intelligent Systems by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Artificial Intelligence Applications and Innovations by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Regional Ecological Challenges for Peace in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia Pacific by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Moral Error Theory by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Contagionism Catches On by Rico Vitz
Cover of the book Low-Angle Polarized Neutron and X-Ray Scattering from Magnetic Nanolayers and Nanostructures by Rico Vitz
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy