Material Falsity and Error in Descartes Meditations

Material Falsity and Error in Descartess Meditations approaches Descartess Meditations as an intellectual journey, wherein Descartess views develop and change as he makes new discoveries about self, God and matter. The first book to focus closely on Descartess notion of material falsity, it shows how Descartess account of material falsity - and correspondingly his account of crucial notions such as truth, falsehood and error - evolves according to the epistemic advances in the Meditations. It also offers important new insights on the crucial role of Descartess Third Meditation discussion of material falsity in advancing many subsequent arguments in the Meditations.

This book is essential reading for those working on Descartes and early modern philosophy. It presents an independent reading on issues of perennial interest, such as Descartess views on error, truth and falsehood. It also makes important contributions to topics that have been the focus of much recent scholarship, such as Descartess ethics and his theodicy. Those working on the interface between medieval and modern philosophy will find the discussions on Descartess debt to predecessors like Suلrez and Augustine invaluable.