Davies explores neglected areas of Descartes' philosophy, such as his thoughts on virtue, and questions whether or not this will call for a reassessment of Descartes' role in western philosophy.

Richard Davies is Professor of the History of Philosophy at the University of Bergamo, Italy

Introduction Motivation, The plot, References PART I Structures 1 Intellectual virtues PART II Excess 2 Reason and virtue in the Passions 4 The control of credulity 5 Reason, assent and eternal truth PART III Defect 6 The modes of scepticism 7 The form of scepticism PART IV The mean 8 Tota methodus 9 Rectitude and science 10 What rectitude permits11 What rectitude forbids, Afterword