The great Arnauld and some of his philosophical correspondents

Antoine Arnauld (1612-94), commonly known as 'The Great Arnauld,' was a theologian and philosopher of extraordinary authority during much of the seventeenth century. The leading French Jansenist, he was a principal foe of the Jesuits and the author of some forty-two volumes. Arnauld was at the centre of theological and philosophical work in Europe from 1641, when he published the first of his Apologies pur Jansenius as well as the 'Fourth Objections' to Descartes' Meditations, until his death in 1694.

His correspondents included Descartes, Malebranche, and Leibniz. Arnauld's thought has not received the attention one might expect, given the range and richness of his philosophical and theological contribution, and his influence during his lifetime. Nevertheless, there has recently been a revival of interest in Arnauld and his works, and one of the purposes of this volume is to contribute to this revival and to demonstrate the range of questions that need to be dealt with in his canon.