Lexington Books
Pages: 122
•
Trim: 6½ x 9¼
978-0-7391-7522-4 • Hardback • October 2014 • $101.00 • (£78.00)
978-0-7391-7523-1 • eBook • October 2014 • $96.00 • (£74.00)
Rebecca Lloyd Waller is assistant professor of philosophy at Kenyon College.
Chapter 1. Pre-Cartesian Approaches to Time
Chapter 2. Time is Not (and Could Not Be) a Cartesian Substance
Chapter 3. Descartes’ Temporal Dualism
Chapter 4. Two Temporal Attributes that are Ontologically on Par
Chapter 5. Temporal Dualism as an Elegant Solution
Descartes’ Temporal Dualism is a well-structured, tightly-argued and eminently readable account of an elusive issue within Cartesian scholarship, namely, Descartes’ own considered understanding of time. Lloyd-Waller’s discussion situates Descartes’ brief (and oftentimes isolated) remarks on time within their historical context, a context encompassing several traditional threads of thought on temporality ranging from the ancient period to Descartes’ own early modern contemporaries. She then offers a fascinating series of arguments and close textual readings for the conclusion that Descartes in fact identifies two central temporal attributes, successive duration and a mental analogue. Clear, forceful, and controversial, her account here will undoubtedly rattle the scholarly consensus on the topic.
— Alan Hillman, University of South Alabama
Rebecca Lloyd Waller applies considerable skill as an historian of philosophy to put forward a sympathetic and novel interpretation of Descartes’ (scant) discussions on time. Her clear writing and extensive research support a compelling thesis: there are two kinds of time, intrinsic duration and time-in-thought. As promised, Descartes’ Temporal Dualism presents an elegant solution to a puzzling aspect of Cartesian scholarship. It is a valuable contribution to the literature on Descartes’ view of time in particular, as well as Cartesian scholarship and the metaphysics of time in general.
— Kimberly A. Blessing, SUNY Buffalo State