A New Historico-Critical Edition of Descartes' Correspondence

FAIN: RQ-50555-11

University of South Florida (Tampa, FL 33620-9951)
Roger Ariew (Project Director: November 2010 to June 2016)
Erik-Jan Bos (Co Project Director: November 2010 to June 2016)

Preparation of a critical edition and English translation of the complete correspondence of René Descartes in seven volumes. (36 months)

We are proposing to produce a new historical and critical edition of René Descartes' correspondence together with a complete English translation of it. The standard edition of Descartes' Correspondence is about a hundred years old and inadequate for many reasons. There is no complete English translation, just a one volume selection of partial translations. Descartes is a crucial figure in modern philosophy; his views are also most important for the study of history of science and history of mathematics. One cannot fully appreciate these without delving into his correspondence. When finished, we expect our new edition to be published, in seven volumes, in print and on-line, by Oxford University Press.