Descartes's concern with the proper method of belief formation is evident in the titles of his works--e.g., The Search after Truth, The Rules for the Direction of the Mind and The Discourse on Method of rightly conducting one's reason and seeking the truth in the sciences. It is most apparent, however, in his famous discussions, both in the Meditations and in the Principles, of one particularly noteworthy source of our doxastic errors--namely, the misuse of one's will. What is not widely recognized, let alone appreciated and understood, is the...

Descartes's concern with the proper method of belief formation is evident in the titles of his works--e.g., The Search after Truth, The Rules for the Direction of the Mind and The Discourse on Method of rightly conducting one's reason and seeking the truth in the sciences. It is most apparent, however, in his famous discussions, both in the Meditations and in the Principles, of one particularly noteworthy source of our doxastic errors--namely, the misuse of one's will. What is not widely recognized, let alone appreciated and understood, is the...