Descartes’s Moral Perfectionism

This book offers a novel and comprehensive interpretation of Descartes’s moral philosophy. In contrast to other influential interpretations, the book argues that the central tenet of his ethical thought is that each person ought to live in the way that is most conducive to their degree of overall perfection.

Frans Svensson is Senior Lecturer in philosophy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. His work has appeared in journals such as History of Philosophy Quarterly, Journal of Ethics, and Utilitas. He is the co-editor, with Martina Reuter, of Mind, Body, and Morality: New Perspectives on Descartes and Spinoza (Routledge, 2019).