Descartes' Bones: A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason
Author(s): Russell Shorto
A "New York Times" Notable Book. Sixteen years after Rene Descartes' death in Stockholm in 1650, a pious French ambassador exhumed the remains of the controversial philosopher to transport them back to Paris. Thus began a 350-year saga that saw Descartes' bones traverse a continent, passing between kings, philosophers, poets, and painters. But as Russell Shorto shows in this deeply engaging book, Descartes' bones also played a role in some of the most momentous episodes in history, which are also part of the philosopher's metaphorical remains: the birth of science, the rise of democracy, and the earliest debates between reason and faith. Descartes' Bones is a flesh-and-blood story about the battle between religion and rationalism that rages to this day.
Product Information
General Fields
- :
- : Random House
- : Vintage
- : 0.318
- : 31 December 2007
- : 203mm X 134mm X 18mm
- : United States
- : books
Special Fields
- : 336
- : Paperback / softback
- : Russell Shorto