Descartes's Morale par Provision: The Morale as Method

Abstract

<P>IN THIS PAPER, I AM CONCERNED TO UNCOVER THE B MORALITYB OF DESCARTESB S MORALE PAR PROVISION IN HIS DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD. </P><P>SCHOLARS, WHEN WORKING ON DESCARTESB S MORALE, OFTEN ASSUME TWO THINGS: ONE, THAT THE MORALE IS A MORALITY; AND TWO, THAT THE MORALE IS THE PRODUCT OF DESCARTESB S METHOD RATHER THAN PART OF THE LATTER. THIS THESIS SHALL NOT ONLY ARGUE THAT THE MORALE IS NOT A MORALITY; IT SHALL ARGUE FOR THIS AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THE MORALE IS PART OF DESCARTESB S METHOD.</P><P>TO DO THIS, I SHALL DEVIATE FROM CERTAIN ESTABLISHED EXEGETICAL. ONE, I SHALL NOT IGNORE DESCARTESB S RHETORIC AND THE MANNER IN WHICH HIS ARGUMENTS ARE PRESENTED. TWO, I SHALL GO BEYOND PART THREE OF THE DISCOURSE AND ESTABLISH THIS THESIS AND ITS ARGUMENTS IN A WIDER TEXTUAL AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT. AND, THREE, I SHALL ATTEND TO DESCARTESB S CHOICE OF WORDS IN HIS EXPOSITION OF HIS MAXIMS.</P>