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It is common to assume that Descartes did not have a conception of an object's matter density independently of its size, but this is a rather incomplete assessment of the early modern natural philosopher's theory. Key to our understanding of Descartes's physics is a consideration of the ratios between the quantities of the different types of matter in which an object consists. As these ratios determine the degree of an object's porosity and elasticity, they also affect in Descartes's theory the phenomena of gravity and weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay considers the influence of Medieval philosopher William of Ockham on the philosophical issue of the interrelationship between the mind and body. It argues his dualist theories became important after the Fifth Lateran Council of 1513 and helped to form the basis of the mind/body dualism forwarded by French philosopher René Descartes.

Early modern tragedians present us with a theory of dramaturgy wherein the view of the body as the mind's instrument is reversed, articulating an ontology in which the mind becomes the body's instrument. During these moments, it is not the audience that create the meanings of the body's language. Rather, the cognitive and emotional states conveyed by the body are generated through a pre-linguistic mode of communication (i.e. gestures, sweat, trembling, etc.) shared by audience members and actors alike. In turning to somatic communication and perception, tragedians aim at conveying to audiences what cannot enter the symbolic order of signification and understanding: unutterable, tragic sorrow and pain. This approach to tragic dramaturgy is often employed by early modern playwrights in order to cause a sense of wonder in the audience members, which, in turn, arouses pleasure and opens new vistas of thought against which to reconsider Aristotle's theory of catharsis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]