Antoine Arnauld (1612–1694) was a wide-ranging and influential thinker and one of the most important philosophical and theological figures of his time. He engaged in theological controversies, took part in philosophical correspondences, sparred with Popes and Kings, was expelled from the Sorbonne, and penned texts that would have great influence on subsequent generations of thinkers. In this book on Arnauld, the first book-length systematic study of his philosophical thought to appear in English, Eric Stencil draws on texts from throughout Arnauld's corpus to present an analysis of his philosophical thought, with chapters on method and epistemology, ontology, substance dualism, the mind-body union, ideas and perception, human freedom, modality, knowledge of God, God's nature, and the creation doctrine. His book illuminates the richness and originality of Arnauld's philosophical project and its key contributions to enlightenment-era thought.

‘This book is bound to be the standard source on Arnauld for a long time to come. Stencil's philosophical reasoning is astute and his meticulous scholarship is first-rate throughout. Anyone trying to work through the debates with Descartes and Malebranche, or Arnauld's own positive views, will find Stencil's work an indispensable guide.'

Walter Ott - University of Virginia