Descartes' visit to the town library, or how Augustinian is Descartes' neurophysiology?
Rene Descartes was early accused of taking his central philosophical proposition from St Augustine. Did he also take his central neurophysiological concept from the same source? This is the question which this paper sets out to answer. It is concluded that the foundational neurophysiology propounded in L'Homme does indeed show strong and interesting resemblences to Augustine's largely Erasistratean version. Descartes, however, working within the new paradigm of seventeenth-century physical science, introduced a new principle: whereas Augustine's neurophysiology is pervaded throughout by a vital factor, the pneuma, Descartes' theory involved only inanimate material forces. It is concluded, further, that in spite of the interesting similarities between Augustinian and Cartesian neurophysiology there is no evidence for any direct plagiarism. It seems more likely that Augustine's influence was filtered through the Galenical physiologists of Descartes' own time and of the preceding century.
Smith
C U
CU
Vision Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.
D005060:Europe; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D009482:Neurophysiology / Q000266:history*; D010684:Philosophy / Q000266:history*; D018644:Roman World