Matter Matters

Some of what Smith says is very controversial, but he offers an interesting answer to the question of why matter exists if its existence might otherwise be regarded a superfluous. * David Cunning, British Journal for the History of Philosophy *
Anyone interested in the development of mathematics and philosophy in the seventeenth century will find something of interest here, and Smith's rational reconstruction of early modern treatments of analysis and synthesis will surely take its place as a standard treatment of the subject. * Doug Jesseph, Journal of the History of Philosophy *
Kurt Smith's intriguing new book covers a host of topics in early modern philosophy that will be familiar to scholars of this period - in particular, Descartes' method in the Meditations and other works - but Smith's approach and arguments will strike many as refreshingly innovative and, it must be admitted, fairly controversial... There is much that is valuable and noteworthy in this provocative work, and it will likely engender a reevaluation by scholars of many well trodden and seldom questioned aspects of Descartes' and Leibniz's methodological systems... the journey on which Smith leads his reader is well worth the time and investment and will likely aid in drawing the attention of many early modern scholars to these important and fertile issues for further research. * Edward Slowik, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *
Matter Matters is a work of genius. The work exhibits a breathtaking spread of erudition from antiquity to the present, mobilized to elucidate the early modern significance of the concept of matter. The slight play of words in the title expresses the principal thesis of the work, that mathematics is intelligible for Descartes if and only if matter exists as its object. Smith understands, better than anyone, how Descartes could claim, literally, that "my physics is nothing but geometry." Many will be convinced, some dismayed, and all will be dazzled by this book. * Thomas M. Lennon, The University of Western Ontario *
Kurt Smith's Matter Matters is a brilliantly suggestive study of early modern philosophy ... The book's virtues are many. It contains important contributions to the literature on Descartes. There is also a refreshing confidence on display, as Smith draws connections between very different thinkers across large spans of time and a range of topics this is a book that deserves attention * Joseph Zepeda, History of Science Society *
Kurt Smith's Matter Matters is a brilliantly suggestive study of early modern philosophy. ... The book's virtues are many. It contains important contributions to the literature of Descartes. There is also a refreshing confidence on display, as Smith draws connections between many different thinkers across large spans of time and a range of topics. * Joseph Zepeda, Isis *