CANCELLED Delphine Antoine-Mahut: What does it mean to be Cartesian?

We can distinguish three main answers to the question: "What does it mean to be Cartesian?" The first consists in returning to what Descartes himself distinguished as being truly his or specific to him, even if he would not, of course, have used the adjective: in short, that which defines what we would now call his philosophical identity. The second has us turning our gaze towards those who claim to be following the lineage of the philosophy of Descartes, presenting themselves as his continuers, mediators or even disciples. Finally, the third has us envisaging the detractors of his philosophy who claim the same "faithfulness" but from a perspective of criticism rather than praise. Thus, "being Cartesian" designates the variety of positions resulting from these interactions, a variety for which Descartes is neither completely responsible nor completely innocent. After looking into the main characteristics and stakes of each of the three answers, we shall focus on the first. We shall show how, through a series of "interwoven portraits", Descartes painted his philosophical self-portrait for both his contemporaries and posterity. After examining "genuine Cartesianism", we shall conclude by opening onto more general topics of discussion concerning our practices as historians of philosophy.