Chapter XXI: Faith and Reason in France (1648 - 1715)

Part I: The Vicissitudes of Cartesianism

  • doubt as the starting point of philosophy

Part II: Cyrano de Bergerac (1619 - 1655)

  • published a comincal science fiction in which Cyrano takes rockets to the moon

Part III: Malebranche (1638 - 1715)

  • his "Search for Truth" is a classic in French Philosophy
  • we have perception of things, not knowledge of them
  • physical explanation of habit, memory and ideas
  • approached near to a materialist determinism

Part IV: Pierre Bayle (1647 - 1706)

  • considered the "Father of the Enlightenment"
  • sensitive youth, loved to be alone studying
  • lived as foreigner in Dutch republic
  • promoted freedom of worship
  • challenged superstition with Newtonian explanation of comets
  • attempted to derive an ethic from reason
    • observed similar moral conduct across many societies with different religious. Therefore, religion is not the critical ingredient for stability.
    • social pressure and fear keep the order
  • Lost family member to religious persecution. In response to this, wrote "Philosophical Commentary on These Words of Jesus: 'Compel them to Come In'" – a classic of religious toleration
    • subjectivity of truth as reason for toleration
  • His "Dictionnaire historique et Critique" is a fundamental text of Enlightenment thinking
  • his method: gather authoritative texts, parse out the objective facts, explain various perspectives, follow reason to some conclusion
  • reason is source of doubt, not action. Emotion drive action.
  • best case for government is enough order and stability for people to live as they please
  • high influential throughout 18th century

Part V: Fontenelle (1657 - 1757)

  • frail man, always corteous, never rude or sarcastic, genial, lived to 100 years old
  • explained myths in terms of human imanginative origins
  • pointed out progressive nature of science and math vs static nature of art
  • idea of stages of growth and decay of nations
  • his theory of progress with unlimited potential continuation and perfectability of mankind was a major ideal of the 18th century thought
  • attempted to popularize Copernican astronomy
  • fear of dogmatism, ideology, and certainty