Strauss notes on Descartes

1941 (New School for Social Research)

Box 6, folder 8 (2 pages on Descartes)

Desc.’s philosophy is a philosophy or science based on extreme scepticism and it is a dogmatism based on scepticism.

How was this brought about? Why was it necessary? Why did Desc.’s doubt not stop at mathematics and the fundamental disciplines?

The argument which makes doubtful the validity of mathematics, is the Deu…