'Secada's book is rich and interesting, and can be read with much profit.' The British Journal for the History of Philosophy

• Part I. The Unity of Cartesian Metaphysics: 1. Descartes's essentialist metaphysics; 2. Scepticism, Scholasticism and the origins of Descartes's philosophy; 3. Cartesian real essences; Part II. Ideas and the Road from Essence to Existence: 4. Ideas and the world in mind; 5. My wax, my intellect and I; 6. Essentialism and the existence of God; Part III. Cartesian Substances: 7. The substantial tension; 8. The essence and the existence of Cartesian substances; 9. The real distinction or the body and the mind.

'Secada's book is rich and interesting, and can be read with much profit.' The British Journal for the History of Philosophy

• Part I. The Unity of Cartesian Metaphysics: 1. Descartes's essentialist metaphysics; 2. Scepticism, Scholasticism and the origins of Descartes's philosophy; 3. Cartesian real essences; Part II. Ideas and the Road from Essence to Existence: 4. Ideas and the world in mind; 5. My wax, my intellect and I; 6. Essentialism and the existence of God; Part III. Cartesian Substances: 7. The substantial tension; 8. The essence and the existence of Cartesian substances; 9. The real distinction or the body and the mind.

'Secada's book is rich and interesting, and can be read with much profit.' The British Journal for the History of Philosophy

• Part I. The Unity of Cartesian Metaphysics: 1. Descartes's essentialist metaphysics; 2. Scepticism, Scholasticism and the origins of Descartes's philosophy; 3. Cartesian real essences; Part II. Ideas and the Road from Essence to Existence: 4. Ideas and the world in mind; 5. My wax, my intellect and I; 6. Essentialism and the existence of God; Part III. Cartesian Substances: 7. The substantial tension; 8. The essence and the existence of Cartesian substances; 9. The real distinction or the body and the mind.