The Irrationalist: The Tragic Murder of Rene Descartes

The Mystery Of Descartes

Every introductory student of philosophy meets Rene Descartes (1596 -- 1650) and his Meditations. Descartes is often regarded as the founder of modern philosophy, and generations of subsequent thinkers have struggled to free themselves from his influence. Typically in introductory or even upper-level philosophy courses, little attention is given to Descartes' life. Different views are possible about the relationship of biography to philosophy. Martin Heidegger is said to have introduced Aristotle to his students by noting that "he was born, he lived, and he died."

Andrew Pessin is both a gifted philosopher and a novelist. As a philosopher, he has a knack for writing for a popular audience, an ability which is invaluable in telling a story. His new novel, "The Irrationalist" is based on the life of Descartes and on the possibility, raised in some recent scholarly literature, that Descartes was murdered while in Sweden rather than dying of natural causes as in the usual account. I have come to know Pessin personally through Amazon. He sent me The Irrationalist for review (although I also purchased the book). Some years ago, Pessin had sent me some of his other books which I also reviewed here. We share a philosophical background ,and Pessin was kind enough to offer astute comments on some of my own writing. Among other things, we exchanged comments on the role of biography in studying a philosopher. (This information is offered for its inherent interest and relevance to "The Irrationalist" and by way of fair disclosure, for what it is worth.)

Pessin's "The Irrationalist" combines literary genres. The book owes a great deal to the genre of American crime fiction. There is an apparent crime, a multitude of suspects and a bumbling detective who tries to find out what happened. In a good book of this genre, the reader learns as much about the detective and his or her character as about the crime. In "The Irrationalist", the investigator is a Jesuit of no particular intellectual distinction named Baillet. He is not a detective by training, but through grit, perseverance, and luck he works to learn about Descartes and his fate, In the process, he comes to a fuller understanding of himself.

The book is also a historical novel with Descartes at its center. During his lifetime, Descartes was more known as a mathematician and natural scientist than as a philosopher. (Disciplinary lines, of course, were blurred at the time.) Baillet observes, in common with many detectives in novels, that to understand an apparent murder one must understand the life of the victim. Pessin shows the reader a great deal of Descartes, much more than will be apparent from a study of the Meditations or other philosophical writings. He lead a checkered, sometimes violent life with many enemies. He had a mistress and fathered a child. He moved around Europe during his lifetime until called to Sweden during his final year where he died. Pessin has placed Descartes within his era. Again, this frequently is not done, or done insufficiently, in philosophy courses. The book describes the ongoing wars between Catholics and Protestants, the growth of interest in science and mathematics, and what appears to be near-universal corruption and scheming. "The Irrationalist" also is a philosophical novel in its discussion of Descartes' dream and vision about unifying science and philosophy and about how his philosophical writings endeavored to realize his vision. Pessin uses his gifts as a novelist and as a dramatist of character to avoid technical philosophical writing in a novel. There is an ultimate irony in the novel, reflected in its title, that a genius such as Descartes devoted to reason and to the life of the mind should lead such a varied, emotionally charged, and ultimately irrational life. There is more than a small lesson here for those thinking about Descartes and Cartesianism.

The novel reads well, with a snappy punchy style. There are good characterizations of many people and of the powerful and of the weak of the era. Violence, death and deceit hover over the book. The settings move back and forth in time and place between Sweden, where Descartes met his demise, and other scenes in Descartes' life. I enjoyed Pessin's depiction of the Rosicrucian Order n the book. Rosicrucianism has a long history that has interested me over the years. The suspense aspect of the book is not fully maintained throughout but builds to a crescendo in the work's final scenes. The book may be a little long for crime fiction and probably a touch too ambitious in its many themes. But "The Irrationalist" held my attention, told its story well, and was both thoughtful and entertaining.

This book helped me see Descartes in a new way. As indicated, I though of the American genre of crime fiction, but I also thought of the much lesser explored type of writing of novels about philosophers. The novels by psychiatrist Irvin Yalom about Spinoza, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche and the novel about Wittgenstein by Bruce Duffy came to mind as I read. The primary appeal of the book will be to readers with an interest in philosophy and historical fiction. But with the crime and suspense, Pessin's novel will also be entertaining and rewarding to a broad audience, including book groups seeking an unusual, mind-engaging read.

Robin Friedman