Schouls limits himself to a discussion of these three concepts in order to escape facile and vague generalizations. For the same reason, in relating Descartes to eighteenth-century thinkers, Schouls limits his attention to a single part of the spectrum of acknowledged Enlightenment reflection, the French "philosopes." From their writings he demonstrates that they are, and acknowledge themselves to be, Descartes' progeny.

Peter A. Schouls' profile page

"elegantly conceived and executed and puts forward an interesting, novel, and well substantiated thesis...will be found valuable by philosophers and historians of thought of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and of course, by Cartesian scholars." Peter Jones, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Edinburgh "a genuine contribution to the field. Throughout, the author is careful, balanced, and interesting." Mark Glouberman, Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia

"elegantly conceived and executed and puts forward an interesting, novel, and well substantiated thesis...will be found valuable by philosophers and historians of thought of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and of course, by Cartesian scholars." Peter Jones, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Edinburgh
"a genuine contribution to the field. Throughout, the author is careful, balanced, and interesting." Mark Glouberman, Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia