Arnauld, Antoine
Arnauld, Antoine (known sometimes as ‘ Arnauld the Great’, 1612–94). Christian philosopher and controversialist. He studied and taught at the Sorbonne until he was expelled (1656) for his Jansenist views. In 1643 he had published a book on frequent communion (of that title) stressing the need for thorough preparation and appropriate disposition, and in 1644 an anonymous apology for Jansen. His major writings were The Art of Thinking (with Pierre Nicole, 1662), also known as the Port Royal Logic, and Concerning True and False Ideas (1683). He developed (while criticizing) Cartesian logic and views, pointing out, for example, the circularity in one of Descartes arguments: the idea of God depends on the clarity and distinctness of our perception of him, while the truth of our clear and distinct perceptions depends on God's existence. In theology, he, more than anyone else, was responsible for diffusing Jansenist ideas.
More From encyclopedia.com
NEARBY TERMS
Arnauld, Antoine