Cartesianism and Philosophy of Mind: Introduction

This is an introduction to the volume "Cartesianism and Philosophy of Mind", edited by Vili Lähteenmäki, Oberto Marrama, and Jani Sinokki. This collective work focuses, from the viewpoint of the philosophy of mind, on interesting but insufficiently studied views and arguments among seventeenth-century Cartesians. It seeks to offer careful philosophical engagement with the topics and the sources – clarifying what Cartesian philosophy of mind amounts to, and, in doing so, helping us also better discern what is Cartesian in our contemporary philosophy of mind. What emerges from the various contributions in this book is not a single narrative about Cartesianism. In fact, the tradition commonly known as “Cartesianism” developed through distinct reactions to the ideas and arguments found in Descartes’ works. As the chapters in this volume illustrate, despite their shared intellectual heritage, Cartesian thinkers diverge in their views on the core principles of Cartesian philosophy. They disagree in their assessment of the significance, acceptability, and proper defense of specific doctrines about the mind. Hence, by looking at how Descartes’ conception of the mind was received through these reactions – including both constructive engagements and critical responses – we can gain a nuanced picture of the foundations of modern philosophy of mind. The first part of the volume focuses on the general features of the Cartesian mind, with particular emphasis on intentionality, representationality, and self-reflectivity. The chapters of the second part focus on the mind–world relationship, examining how minds are linked to and interact with external objects. The third and final part of the volume shifts focus from individual minds to trans-individual aspects of mentality.