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2Absolute beginners: learning philosophy by learning Descartes and Berkeley: C. G. Prado: Starting with Descartes. London & New York: Continuum, 2009. vi +170 pp, US$ 19.95 PB Nick Jones: Starting with Berkeley. London & New York: Continuum, 2009. viii +191 pp, US$ 19.95 PB (review)Metascience 19 (3): 385-389. 2010.
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8Yolton, John W. Perception and Reality: A History from Descartes to Kant (review)Review of Metaphysics 50 (4): 928-929. 1997.
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9Hutcheson, Perception, and the Sceptic's ChallengeBritish Journal for the History of Philosophy 20 (2): 269-281. 2012.Francis Hutcheson's theory of perception, as put forth in his Synopsis of Metaphysics, bears a striking similarity to that of John Locke. In particular, Hutcheson and Locke both have at the centre of their theories the notion of ideas as representational entities acting as the direct objects of all of our perceptions. On first consideration, one might find this similarity wholly unremarkable, given the popularity of Locke's Essay. But the Essay was published in 1689 and the Synopsis in 1742, and…Read more
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6Causality and Human Freedom in MalebranchePhilosophy and Theology 9 (3-4): 321-331. 1996.In that it holds God to be the only true efficient cause, Malebranche’s occasionalism would seem to deny human freedom and to make God responsible for our sins. I argue that Malebranche’s occasionalism must be considered within its Cartesian framework; once one understands what it is to be an occasional cause in this context, Malebranche can be seen as saving a place for human freedom, and he can consistently hold that we are morally responsible for our actions.
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4Retroactive identity ascriptions, empty questions, and intrinsic relationsThink 7 (20): 93-96. 2008.If a statue and lump of clay have the same life-histories, are they numerically identical?
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3Knowing our nature: A note on Régis’ response to MalebrancheHistory of European Ideas 33 (2): 135-141. 2007.Nicolas Malebranche was the first Cartesian philosopher to challenge Descartes’ claim that we are capable of possessing a clear and distinct understanding of the soul's nature. Other Cartesians, including Clauberg, La Forge, and Cordemoy, accepted without question the conclusion of the Second Meditation that the nature of the soul is better known than is the nature of body. After presenting an overview of Malebranche's argument, this note turns to the Cartesian philosopher Pierre-Sylvain Régis. …Read more
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Gabriel Biel and Occasionalism: Overcoming an Apparent TensionHistory of Philosophy Quarterly 28 (2): 159. 2011.
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9Almog's DescartesPhilosophy 80 (3): 423-431. 2005.The answer which Joseph Almog gives to the question which serves as the title of his recent book What Am I? (subtitled: Descartes and the Mind-Body Problem) is based upon his interpretation of (1) and objection to Descartes' argument for the distinction of the mind and the body raised by Antoine Arnauld, as well as Descartes' response to it, and (2) Descartes' letters of 9 February 1645 to Denis Mesland. I will argue that both of these interpretations are incorrect, and as such do not support th…Read more
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3A Note on Hahn's Philosophy of LogicHistory and Philosophy of Logic 23 (1): 37-42. 2002.Hans Hahn, mathematician, philosopher and co-founder of the Vienna Circle, attempted to reconcile the validity and applicability of both logic and mathematics with a strict empiricism. This article begins with a review of this attempt, focusing on his view of the relation of language to logic and his answer to the question of why we need logic. I then turn to some recent work by Stephen Yablo in an attempt to show that Yablo's fictionalism, and in particular his use of metaphor, can shed light o…Read more
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9Malebranche’s Theory of the Soul: A Cartesian InterpretationPhilosophical Review 107 (2): 334. 1998.While there has been a resurgence in Malebranche scholarship in the anglophone world over the last twenty years, most of it has focused on Malebranche’s theory of ideas, and little attention has been paid to his philosophy of mind. Schmaltz’s book thus comes as a welcome addition to the Malebranche literature; that he has given us such a well-researched and carefully argued study is even more welcome. The focus of this work is Malebranche’s split with Descartes on the question of our knowledge o…Read more