Early Modern Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary

Acknowledgments.

General Introduction.

Part I: Science, Skepticism, and Religion.

Introduction.

1. The Apology for Raymond Sebond: Michel de Montaigne.

2. The New Organon: Francis Bacon.

3. Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina and The Assayer: Galileo Galilei.

4. Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting the Reason and Seeking for Truth in the Sciences: René Descartes.

5. Leviathan: Thomas Hobbes.

6. Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy: Isaac Newton.

Part II: Descartes and his Critics.

Introduction.

7. The Meditations on First Philosophy: René Descartes.

8. The Second Set of Objections with Replies by Descartes: collected by Marin Mersenne.

9. The Third Set of Objections with Replies by Descartes: Thomas Hobbes.

10. The Fourth Set of Objections with Replies by Descartes: Antoine Arnauld.

11. The Fifth Set of Objections with Replies by Descartes: Pierre Gassendi.

12. Letters to and from Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia.

13. Pensées: Blaise Pascal.

Part III: Rationalism.

Introduction.

14. The Ethics: Benedict Spinoza.

15. The Search After Truth: Nicolas Malebranche.

16. Discourse on Metaphysics: G. W. F. Leibniz.

17. The Theodicy: Abridgement of the Argument: G. W. F. Leibniz.

18. The Monadology: G. W. F. Leibniz.

Part IV: Political Philosophy.

Introduction.

19. The Prince: Niccolò Machiavelli.

20. Leviathan: Thomas Hobbes.

21. On the Duty of Man and Citizen: Samuel Pufendorf.

Further Reading.

Index