Descartes' Bones A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason - Shorto, Russell

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Descartes' Bones A Skeletal History of the Conflict Between Faith and Reason by Shorto, Russell Format: PaperbackPublished by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2009 Sixteen years a fter René Descartes' death in Stockholm in 1650, a pious French ambassador exhumed the remains of the controversial philosopher to transport them back to Paris. Thus began a 350-year saga that saw Descartes' bones traverse a continent, passing between kings, philosophers, poets, and painters. But as Russell Shorto shows in this deeply engaging book, Descartes' bones also played a role in some of the most momentous episodes in history, which are also part of the philosopher's metaphorical remains: the birth of science, the rise of democracy, and the earliest debates between reason and faith. Descartes' Bones is a flesh-and-blood story about the battle between religion and rationalism that rages to this day. A New York Times Notable Book Product image is for illustration purposes only and may not be an exact representation of the product offered for sale. Show more