Pamela Kraus teaches at St. John's College, Annapolis. Frank Hunt teaches at St. John's College, Santa Fe.

Superbly practicing the art of reading, Richard Kennington uncovers the founding arguments of the early modern philosophers. His explications of the thought of Bacon and Descartes on the relations between method, experiential starting-points, and the final purposes of inquiry, are sans pareil for depth and subtlety. Kennington's work builds on insights of Heidegger, Leo Strauss, and Jacob Klein concerning the origins and intent of the modern project of mastering nature, but his reflection on this theme is more thorough and in the end more satisfying than any previous account.

• Chapter 1 Bacon's Reform of NatureChapter 2 Bacon's Critique of Ancient Philosophy in New Organon 1Chapter 3 Bacon's OntologyChapter 4 Bacon's Humanitarian Revision of MachiavelliChapter 5 Descartes's OlympicaChapter 6 Descartes's Discourse on MethodChapter 7 Descartes and Mastery of NatureChapter 8 The Finitude of Descartes's Evil GeniusChapter 9 Cartesian Rationalism and Eternal TruthsChapter 10 The "Teaching of Nature" in Descartes's Soul DoctrineChapter 11 René DescartesChapter 12 Analytic and Synthetic Methods in Spinoza's EthicsChapter 13 On the Intention of LeibnizChapter 14 Nature and Natural Right in Locke

Pamela Kraus teaches at St. John's College, Annapolis. Frank Hunt teaches at St. John's College, Santa Fe.

Superbly practicing the art of reading, Richard Kennington uncovers the founding arguments of the early modern philosophers. His explications of the thought of Bacon and Descartes on the relations between method, experiential starting-points, and the final purposes of inquiry, are sans pareil for depth and subtlety. Kennington's work builds on insights of Heidegger, Leo Strauss, and Jacob Klein concerning the origins and intent of the modern project of mastering nature, but his reflection on this theme is more thorough and in the end more satisfying than any previous account.

• Chapter 1 Bacon's Reform of NatureChapter 2 Bacon's Critique of Ancient Philosophy in New Organon 1Chapter 3 Bacon's OntologyChapter 4 Bacon's Humanitarian Revision of MachiavelliChapter 5 Descartes's OlympicaChapter 6 Descartes's Discourse on MethodChapter 7 Descartes and Mastery of NatureChapter 8 The Finitude of Descartes's Evil GeniusChapter 9 Cartesian Rationalism and Eternal TruthsChapter 10 The "Teaching of Nature" in Descartes's Soul DoctrineChapter 11 René DescartesChapter 12 Analytic and Synthetic Methods in Spinoza's EthicsChapter 13 On the Intention of LeibnizChapter 14 Nature and Natural Right in Locke

Pamela Kraus teaches at St. John's College, Annapolis. Frank Hunt teaches at St. John's College, Santa Fe.

Superbly practicing the art of reading, Richard Kennington uncovers the founding arguments of the early modern philosophers. His explications of the thought of Bacon and Descartes on the relations between method, experiential starting-points, and the final purposes of inquiry, are sans pareil for depth and subtlety. Kennington's work builds on insights of Heidegger, Leo Strauss, and Jacob Klein concerning the origins and intent of the modern project of mastering nature, but his reflection on this theme is more thorough and in the end more satisfying than any previous account.

• Chapter 1 Bacon's Reform of NatureChapter 2 Bacon's Critique of Ancient Philosophy in New Organon 1Chapter 3 Bacon's OntologyChapter 4 Bacon's Humanitarian Revision of MachiavelliChapter 5 Descartes's OlympicaChapter 6 Descartes's Discourse on MethodChapter 7 Descartes and Mastery of NatureChapter 8 The Finitude of Descartes's Evil GeniusChapter 9 Cartesian Rationalism and Eternal TruthsChapter 10 The "Teaching of Nature" in Descartes's Soul DoctrineChapter 11 René DescartesChapter 12 Analytic and Synthetic Methods in Spinoza's EthicsChapter 13 On the Intention of LeibnizChapter 14 Nature and Natural Right in Locke