Starting with Descartes: (Starting with…)

René Descartes was the founding father of modern Western philosophy and a pivotal thinker in the history of this fascinating subject. Covering all the key concepts of his work, Starting with Descartes provides an accessible introduction to the ideas of this enormously significant philosopher. Thematically structured, the book leads the reader through a thorough overview of the development of Descartes' thought, resulting in a more complete understanding of the roots of his philosophical concerns. Offering coverage of the full range of Descartes' ideas, the book explores his major work The Meditations on First Philosophy and his basic methodology of philosophical questioning. Crucially, the book introduces the historical context in which Descartes wrote and the major thinkers whose work proved influential in the development of his thought, as well as those he influenced.  

Table of Contents:
1. Introduction 2. Descartes and his Project 3. The First Meditation: Methodological Doubt 4. The Second Meditation: The Cogito 5. The Third Meditation: The Causal Argument for God's Existence 6. A Brief Interlude 7. The Fourth Meditation: Explaining the Possibility of Error 8. The Fifth Meditation: The Ontological Argument for God's Existence 9. The Sixth Meditation: The World's Existence 10. Conclusion Glossary Select Bibliography Index

About the Author :
C. G. Prado is Professor of Philosophy at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. He is the author of seven books, two on aging and suicide. He is also the author of some thirty articles and is co-author of a book on assisted suicide.

Review :
"Does the world need more monographs on major philosophers? It does when they are as well written as the 'Starting with' series... The summaries and analyses of Descartes's Meditations presented by Prado (emer. Queen's Univ., Canada) are well done and a reliable guide to those unfamiliar with this French philosopher... Summing up: Recommended." -Choice 'Prado [offers] helpful general advice on how to read a philosophical work and how to think philosophically ... would be helpful to college and university students struggling in an introductory philosophy course.' - Metascience One thing I like very much about Prado's book is that he makes the case for both the claim that the Meditations are well worth reading, even some 350 years after they were written, and his belief in the greatness despite his many error... of Descartes as a philosopher. "Prado skillfully weaves together virtually the entire Western philosophical tradition, while illuminating Descartes' central role ... This slim book, which is a mine of information about central philosophical questions, should prove extremely useful." - Tom Rockmore, McAnulty College Distinguished Professor, Duquesne University, USA "Prado gracefully brings the resources of recent scholarship to the scrutiny of Descartes' still fascinating argument, the foundational work of modern philosophy. An indispensable help to student and teacher alike." - Wallace Matson, Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, USA "Carlos Prado makes it clear that learning about Descartes is no purely historical exercise. A solid grasp of Descartes' thought is indispensable to understanding contemporary philosophy as well as one of the best ways of being introduced to the Western tradition of philosophical thought." - Professor Barry Allen, McMaster University, Canada