The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Philosophy offers a uniquely comprehensive and authoritative overview of early-modern philosophy written by an international team of specialists. As with previous Cambridge histories of philosophy the subject is treated by topic and theme, and since history does not come packaged in neat bundles, the subject is also treated with great temporal flexibility, incorporating frequent reference to medieval and Renaissance ideas. The basic structure of the volumes corresponds to the way an educated seventeenth-century European might have organised the domain of philosophy. Thus, the history of science, religious doctrine, and politics feature very prominently. The narrative that unfolds begins with an intellectual world dominated by a synthesis of Aristotelianism and scholastic philosophy, but by the end of the period the mechanistic or 'corpuscularian' philosophy has emerged and exerted its full impact on traditional metaphysics, ethics, theology, logic, and epistemology.
'To anyone conditioned by their philosophical education to see 17th century philosophy as narrowly preoccupied with puzzles in the 'theory of knowledge' the richness and diversity of these volumes will be a welcome surprise. The book as a whole is an unrivalled scholarly resource for those wishing to enhance their understanding of the many complex facets of early modern philosophy and its origins.' The Times Literary Supplement
'This is an encyclopaedic history of the philosophical ideals central to the great change in Western philosophy from spiritualist scholasticism to materialist mechanism … I applaud the editors of this volume and Cambridge University Press for conceiving of and publishing this hard-core book.' International Studies in Philosophy
'From the chapter titles alone it is evident that this volume will become essential reading for historians of science, as well as for anyone interested in the history of philosophy, logic, psychology, theology and ethics. The standard of presentation across this spectrum is very high … and there will be few readers who will not find their knowledge extended, their curiosity satisfied or stimulated to further enquiry … destined to become the standard work in this field for many years to come.' Renaissance Quarterly
'The remark 'ground-breaking' on a dust-jacket is seldom to be believed but in this case the description is correct … Highly recommended for upper-division undergraduates and graduate students, researchers and faculty.' Choice
'It overshadows all of its predecessors and will set the standard in the study of seventeenth century philosophy for at least the next 20 years.' The Philosophers' Magazine
' … simply magnificent … a grand revision, performed gracefully and without polemic'. London Review of Books
'This volume reflects an underlying purpose in freeing the history of philosophy from an excessive preoccupation with the concerns of analytical philosophy, and a concern to substitute instead a picture of the subject as an educated European of the century would have understood it.' Political Studies
'The Cambridge History of Seventeenth-Century Philosophy is an outstanding collection that will be a standard reference work for some time to come and which will be an important point of call for anyone wanting to chart their way through the philosophy of one of the most exciting and significant centuries of all.' Metascience
