Pauline Phemister, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Edinburgh

• Abbreviations. Acknowledgements.Introduction.Chapter One – System Builders.Chapter Two – Knowledge and Ideas.Chapter Three – Substance.Chapter Four – Spinoza’s God.Chapter Five – One and Many.Chapter Six – Body: Descartes and Spinoza.Chapter Seven – Body: Leibniz.Chapter Eight – Mind and Body: Descartes.Chapter Nine – Mind and Body: Spinoza and Leibniz.Chapter Ten – Problems of Freedom.Chapter Eleven – Freedom, Activity and Self-determination.Notes.Bibliography.Index.

"Pauline Phemister’s The Rationalists is a well-regulated account of three great seventeenth-century “system builders”, replete with illuminating contrasts and comparisons."Roger Woolhouse, University of York "Pauline Phemister’s comparative study of Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz is an important contribution to the historiography of philosophy as well as a delight to read. The central issues of seventeenth-century metaphysics, including the nature of substance, ideas, God, mind and body, causality and freedom, are treated in depth and with exemplary lucidity. This is simply the best and most comprehensive survey of rationalism available." Catherine Wilson, City University of New York

Pauline Phemister, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Edinburgh

• Abbreviations. Acknowledgements.Introduction.Chapter One – System Builders.Chapter Two – Knowledge and Ideas.Chapter Three – Substance.Chapter Four – Spinoza’s God.Chapter Five – One and Many.Chapter Six – Body: Descartes and Spinoza.Chapter Seven – Body: Leibniz.Chapter Eight – Mind and Body: Descartes.Chapter Nine – Mind and Body: Spinoza and Leibniz.Chapter Ten – Problems of Freedom.Chapter Eleven – Freedom, Activity and Self-determination.Notes.Bibliography.Index.

"Pauline Phemister’s The Rationalists is a well-regulated account of three great seventeenth-century “system builders”, replete with illuminating contrasts and comparisons."Roger Woolhouse, University of York "Pauline Phemister’s comparative study of Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz is an important contribution to the historiography of philosophy as well as a delight to read. The central issues of seventeenth-century metaphysics, including the nature of substance, ideas, God, mind and body, causality and freedom, are treated in depth and with exemplary lucidity. This is simply the best and most comprehensive survey of rationalism available." Catherine Wilson, City University of New York

Pauline Phemister, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Edinburgh

• Abbreviations. Acknowledgements.Introduction.Chapter One – System Builders.Chapter Two – Knowledge and Ideas.Chapter Three – Substance.Chapter Four – Spinoza’s God.Chapter Five – One and Many.Chapter Six – Body: Descartes and Spinoza.Chapter Seven – Body: Leibniz.Chapter Eight – Mind and Body: Descartes.Chapter Nine – Mind and Body: Spinoza and Leibniz.Chapter Ten – Problems of Freedom.Chapter Eleven – Freedom, Activity and Self-determination.Notes.Bibliography.Index.

"Pauline Phemister’s The Rationalists is a well-regulated account of three great seventeenth-century “system builders”, replete with illuminating contrasts and comparisons."Roger Woolhouse, University of York "Pauline Phemister’s comparative study of Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz is an important contribution to the historiography of philosophy as well as a delight to read. The central issues of seventeenth-century metaphysics, including the nature of substance, ideas, God, mind and body, causality and freedom, are treated in depth and with exemplary lucidity. This is simply the best and most comprehensive survey of rationalism available." Catherine Wilson, City University of New York