The philosophy of Gassendi

” 2. De partibus animalium. ” 3. De anima. ” 4. De generatione animalium. ” 5. De nutritione. ” 6. De sensu universe. ” 7. De sensibus speciatim. ” 8. De phantasia. ” 9. De inte...

(I.) The edition of the works to which reference is always made in this book is the edition of 1658 (Lyon). This contains all Gassendi’s works (some slightly abridged), except s...

Logic is defined by Gassendi as the science of intellect ‘qua veri sequax.’[11] Its rules, being general, conduct to all knowledge, not merely the knowledge of nature, but knowl...

By far the longest part of the _Syntagma_ of Gassendi is comprised under the title ‘Physics.’ Of the general nature of this work and its significance we must speak later; for th...

The second book of the Physics on time and place is so involved and subtle that its contents must be stated in Gassendi’s own way before any attempt is made to formulate his views.

Leaving time and space we now descend the scale of Being, and come to pure corporeal reality, the subject to which the term ‘physical science’ is usually restricted. A speculati...

The second part of the _Syntagma_ begins with a treatise de rebus terrenis inanimis. The majority of its contents are not worth reproduction in full or with any degree of exactn...

The third section of the second part of the _Syntagma_ has two ‘membra’ dealing with natural objects (rebus terrenis) in general. We have discussed the former part, and can now...

Although we speak of the Soul as sensitive, there are many facts which seem to prove that the seat of sensation can be more distinctly defined. The Soul may be diverted and not...

The subject of motion naturally follows the discussions on the cognitive and appetitive functions. Nature indeed added this power as the complement of the others, that we might...

The student who enters on the task of discovering Gassendi’s views on ethics has before him a problem of considerable magnitude. The mass of quotations is enormous: repetition i...

The treatment of the special virtues, though containing much that is too trite to need recording again, adds a few points that are necessary to complete our view of the Ethics.

The discussion on Liberty, Fate, and Divination forms a metaphysic of Ethic in so far as Gassendi recognises the necessity of supplying an argument for the possibility of morali...

A word or two may here be added on the nature and attributes of God. We have already learnt that Gassendi is in direct opposition to Epicurus on this point. He treats the subjec...

Here and there in the literature of philosophy one finds references to Gassendi. As a rule they are patently second hand, and often accompanied by the remark that Gassendi has b...

To minds of a certain type works such as those of Gassendi are irritating. They continually arouse the question ‘Is this philosophy?’ and cause a vague unrest which it is diffic...