Cartesian Approaches to Cosmology in Early Modern Europe

Virtual Event, 30 September 2020, Bucharest, 11:00-13:00

Descartes’s cosmology was developed during the 1630s and 1640s, with significant emendations after the philosopher’s death. Some of the early Cartesians offered a renewed afterlife to Descartes’s views. The theory of the vortices was coupled with more general problems, such as the compatibility between natural philosophy and religion. The project explored the early reception of Descartes’s cosmology in connection to the “mosaic physics” tradition, as opposed to (or even along the lines of) the more popular account in terms of “mechanical philosophy.” The event “Cartesian Approaches to Cosmology in Early Modern Europe” concludes our research project with a meeting in roundtable format.

In order to encourage discussion, we have prepared some materials to pre-circulate with registered participants. We also aim to discuss a new draft of a preprint related to the collection of Cartesian cosmological illustrations. To access the materials, please register at mihnea.dobre@unibuc.ro.