Abstract
ABSTRACTOn the twenty-third birthday of Queen Kristina, in December 1649, she was also honored as a maker of peace. A court ballet was an important part of the festivities. Its French text, La Naissance de la paix, has been attributed to René Descartes, an attribution which was supported by Adrien Baillet’s biography of the philosopher (1691). The question of the authorship of La Naissance de la paix has been the subject of renewed attention in recent decades and has given rise to conflicting opinions among prominent experts on Descartes. In this article their arguments are presented and critically discussed. The purpose of the article is not merely to illustrate the problem of attribution – making a decision seems impossible at present – but also to contribute to the understanding of Descartes’ stay at the court of Kristina. In the article the question of Descartes’ literary activity in the service of the queen is also discussed with reference to an unfinished pastoral drama which the philosopher wrote during his stay in Stockholm.
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