Enlightenment and Action from Descartes to Kant

This is the first book to trace systematically the philosophical origins and development of the idea that the improvement of human understanding requires public activity, through discussion of the work of Descartes, Hobbes, Locke, Spinoza, and Leibniz. Challenging the traditional views of 17th century philosophy and written in lucid, nontechnical language, it will be sought by historians of philosophy and students of the history of ideas.