THE ONTOLOGICAL DEBATE BETWEEN DESCARTES AND FROMONDUS
THE ONTOLOGICAL DEBATE BETWEEN DESCARTES AND FROMONDUS

Summary/Abstract: A very important debate around the publication of Descartes’ Discourse and Essays is the exchange of no more than two letters between Descartes and Fromondus. I begin by showing the differences but also the common assumptions of Descartes and Fromondus regarding the theory of matter. In the second part of my article I will analyse the problem of perception, emphasizing the introduction by Descartes of the problem of consciousness. Finally, I will analyse the middle ground between the theory of matter and the theory of perception, namely the mode of existence of material objects and animals, showing the importance of Descartes' introduction of the concept of machine as the explanatory concept of his all-encompassing account of the living world.

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