The Travels of Descartes on Superphysics

The 3 Dreams of Descartes

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Descartes left Frankfurt at the end of September 1619 after attending the coronation of the emperor.

Descartes was not a Rosicrucian

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Descartes’s solitude that winter remained quite complete, especially regarding those who were not capable of contributing to his conversations. However, he did not exclude from his room those who were knowledgeable and could talk about science or literary news.

Descartes was not a Rosicrucian

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Descartes still did not know how to pursue his life goals.

So he took up the musket again to do another campaign.

Descartes in Germany

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After the Hungarian campaign, Descartes resolved to never carry the musket.

He had no fight to wage on this occasion, neither against his temperament, whose ardor had cooled with the labors of four years of military service, nor against his inclination which now only carried him to seek tranquility to meditate on his philosophy.

Descartes at the Hague

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After a short stay in West Friesland, Descartes came to Holland where he spent a good part of the winter.

In The Hague, he saw 3 different small courts.

The court of States General where the affairs of the republic were conducted
The court of the Prince of Orange where one always saw a lot of foreign nobility
The court of the unfortunate Queen of Bohemia, Electress Palatine

She was just being born, and where the ladies and people of entertainment went to charm away the sorrows and misfortunes of the princess. The Elector Palatine her husband did not have a very sedentary stay with her.

Descartes Fixes Mathematics

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Descartes had already been convinced for a long time by his own experience of the little utility of mathematics, especially when one cultivates them only for themselves, without applying them to other things.

Descartes in Rome

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The death of Pope Gregory 15 on July 8, and the election of Urban 8th after a month of conclave, reawakened Descartes’ desire to make a trip to Italy.

The curiosity that had formerly led him to procure the spectacle of all that is accompanied by forms and ceremonies among the great, was not yet entirely extinguished. But he could not satisfy it on the election and the coronation of the new pope, because of the diligence with which everything was advanced in Rome. Thus no longer caring about going straight to Rome, he arranged his affairs according to the disposition he was in to spend two winters on this trip: so that his stay in Rome was no longer to coincide except with the beginning of the jubilee of the year 1625.

Descartes Never Met Galileo

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Descartes remained in Rome until the beginning of spring.

He was currently meditating on his return to France, when the Pope named Cardinal Francesco Barberini, his nephew, to go there in the capacity of legate.

Descartes and Religion

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Descartes traveled by post from Lyon to Poitou to:

check on his property there.
- He was unable to sell it before his departure
give an account to Mrs. Sain, his godmother, of what he had done for her late husband’s affairs in the army in Italy.

While in Châtellerault, he was asked to negotiate for the position of lieutenant general of the place, who was pressed to get rid of it to buy another for his son.

Descartes in Fontainebleau

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Although Mr. Descartes had provided himself with a kind of establishment in Paris, he did not, however, subject himself so much to residence during the three years he stayed there, that he did not give himself the freedom to undertake walks in the countryside from time to time, and even trips to the provinces.

The Friends of Descartes

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Descartes in Paris felt quickly the inconveniences of his reputation, which brought him too many visits.

He had a visitor everyday.

He wanted to retreat to Holland the soonest.

Descartes and Lenses

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Descartes other friend beside Father Mersenne was Mr. Mydorge.

Mydorge made lenses for Descartes in Paris in 1627 and 1628, when they enjoyed each other’s company at leisure.

The siege of La Rochelle

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The siege of La Rochelle was one of the most remarkable of the century.

It was already well advanced when Descartes arrived there.

It had been formed from September of the previous year after the arrival of Gaston of France, whom the king had declared general of the army.

Chandoux

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A few days after Descartes arrived in Paris, an assembly of learned people was held at the Pope’s nuncio, who wanted to get important listeners for Mr. de Chandoux, who was to give a talk on new philosophical ideas.