The paper pursue a dual purpose: first, it provides a brief historical reconstruction of Claude Clerselier’s figure (1614-1684), underlining the role he played in the translation and publication of some of René Descartes’s works; second, it emphasizes the role played by Clerselier himself, especially in defending some of the main Cartesian theses, such as the physical explanation of the mystery of the transubstantiation and the idea of God. It is from the almost unpublished Clerselier’s correspondence that we have to begin to find traces of these discussions and consequent debates: a careful reading of the whole dossier of the correspondence makes possible to highlight certain aspects relating to the history of the Cartesian philosophy which are still little known today. In particular, in order to find the most complete proof of the role played by Clerselier in the defense of Descartes’s doctrines on the explanation of the eucharistic mystery, reference must be made to his correspondence in the manuscript no. 366, housed at the Bibliothèque Municipale André Malraux in Chartres; however, as regards the defense made by Clerselier about God’s clear and distinct idea, on the contrary, it is necessary to refer to his correspondence with Johannes Clauberg in the Opera Omnia of the German philosopher. Despite the undoubted importance of the eucharistic debate, the paper focuses on the second debate, that is the idea of God.
Clerselier and Descartes: Pagani habuerunt ideam plurium Deorum.
Agostini Siegrid
2017-01-01
Abstract
The paper pursue a dual purpose: first, it provides a brief historical reconstruction of Claude Clerselier’s figure (1614-1684), underlining the role he played in the translation and publication of some of René Descartes’s works; second, it emphasizes the role played by Clerselier himself, especially in defending some of the main Cartesian theses, such as the physical explanation of the mystery of the transubstantiation and the idea of God. It is from the almost unpublished Clerselier’s correspondence that we have to begin to find traces of these discussions and consequent debates: a careful reading of the whole dossier of the correspondence makes possible to highlight certain aspects relating to the history of the Cartesian philosophy which are still little known today. In particular, in order to find the most complete proof of the role played by Clerselier in the defense of Descartes’s doctrines on the explanation of the eucharistic mystery, reference must be made to his correspondence in the manuscript no. 366, housed at the Bibliothèque Municipale André Malraux in Chartres; however, as regards the defense made by Clerselier about God’s clear and distinct idea, on the contrary, it is necessary to refer to his correspondence with Johannes Clauberg in the Opera Omnia of the German philosopher. Despite the undoubted importance of the eucharistic debate, the paper focuses on the second debate, that is the idea of God.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
