Cartesianism and Port-Royal

Abstract

One of more prevalent misunderstandings in history of early modern thought concerns relationship between Cartesian philosophy and Jansenist community at Port-Royal. There is tendency, both in seventeenth century and in recent scholarship, to treat Port-Royal as bastion of and to see Jansenists generally as enthusiastic pro ponents of Descartes' thought. For example, orthodox Protestant theologian Pierre Jurieu, in his La politique du clerg? de France (1681), in sists that the theologians of Port-Royal are as devoted to as they are to Christianity, and notes (with glee) that they are thus no more able to account for Eucharistie transubstantiation than Descartes himself.1 Likewise, Pierre Daniel, in Voyage du Monde de M. Descartes (1690), claims that there are very few Jansenists who are not Cartesians.2 In nineteenth century, usually reliable Francisque Bouillier, in his monumental study of la philosophie cart?sienne, finds a natural alliance between doctrines of Jansenius and those of Descartes . . . thus, Cartesian sympathies of Port-Royal are well known ... In fact, we can place Port-Royal immediately after Oratory among religious societies inclined towards philosophy of Descartes.3 More recently, Marjorie Grene writes uncritically that Cartesianism became, we are told, up to point official doctrine of Port-Royal.4 In this paper, I present some evidence which corrects this longstanding misinterpretation and show that, far from being contaminated by Carte sian principles, Port-Royal was, in fact, center of opposition to Descartes.5 To be sure, Cartesian philosophy was frequent and popular topic for discussion at Port-Royal; and one will certainly find that degree of antipathy among Jansenists for varies greatly between individuals. But of all Port-Royalists of seventeenth cen tury, only Antoine Arnauld can rightfully be called Cartesian.6 If one looks closely at writings and comments of some of more prominent and important associates of Port-Royal, one finds strong bias against Cartesianism, bias based on variety of philosophical and theological reasons, as well as an evident disdain for general kind of philosophical activity such system represents to these extremely pious individuals.