Descartes-Agonistes Physico-mathematics, Method & Corpuscular-Mechanism 1618-33

“This is a massive book, overflowing with information ... this is a remarkably rich book, synthesizing much scholarship on Descartes' scientific work while contributing bold and novel interpretations of this work and its relation to Descartes' self-conception.” (Andrew Arana, Mathematical Reviews, September, 2017)

“In Descartes-Agonistes: Physico-mathematics, Method, and Corpuscular-Mechanism, 1618–33, John Schuster propounds an exact genesis for Descartes’s scientific work. … Schuster also offers plenty of details and information on the genesis of Descartes’s law of refraction and describes it in its historical context. … I would strongly recommend … . offer much food for thought and, once again, testify to the richness of Descartes’s works and thought.” (Michel Blay, Isis, Vol. 107 (1), March, 2016)

“The book is a grand success: it is meticulously argued, elaborated at great depth, and provides the most developed reconstruction of Descartes’ natural philosophy thus far. … Descartes-agonistes is essential reading for Descartes historians of science and metaphysics alike.” (Emily Thomas, Annals of Science, Vol. 73 (1), 2016)

“This book helps us to deepen and change our view of Descartes’ trajectory and, in sum, to better understand the significance of Descartes’ work in the seventeenth century. At the same time, Schuster provides historians with a different and fascinating approach to the trajectory of ideas and aims of this author belonging to the Scientific Revolution.” (Maria Rosa Massa Esteve, zbMATH, Vol. 1279, 2014)