Cartesian Theaters, Shakespearean Minds
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Early modern drama
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History of Philosophy
Literary theory
Philosophy of mind
Rene Descartes
William Shakespeare
Product details
- ISBN 9781399556965
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 31 Mar 2026
- Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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Most scholars of early modern English literature consider Cartesian rationalism to be a poor theoretical lens. Though René Descartes figures as one of the most important philosophers in the early modern period, and in the history of philosophy itself, he has received scorn from literary scholars of the Renaissance who have become skeptical of “heroes of subjectivity.” Cartesian Theaters, Shakespearean Minds challenges the commonplace dichotomy between Cartesian subjectivity and early modern material culture and reconsiders Descartes as a foundational figure in early modern literary studies. It corrects outdated readings by scholars that would position him as a champion of disembodied mind. Instead, Nathan Pensky argues that both Descartes and Shakespeare, as well as several of the latter’s contemporaries, draw from overlapping philosophical histories, and that the mind-body problem as evident in early modern drama clearly anticipates Cartesian thought.
Nathan Pensky is an Adjunct Professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University. He has published work in Early Theater and Early Modern Literary Studies and in non-academic outlets, including The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Boston Globe, and many others. His interests of study include early modern literature, hermeneutics, ethics and philosophy of mind.
