ABSTRACT
In a general way, he is as entitled to them as any advertiser or politician is to her self-puffs. His theorisation of nature was not noticeably worse than many others on the market at the time; indeed, it was markedly superior to many in point of rigour and fecundity. If we think of him as in the race to take the office previously held by Aristotle, then, as already noted in considering the moral certainty of some explanations, he has to make appeals to recognised standards. The candidate who does not say she can solve crime and bring social justice will be beaten by the opponent who does: both reason and experience have to be satisfied. But we have seen that, if Descartes wins the election, experience will not be satisfied and should know its place.
