This review study looks at David Clemenson’s book Descartes’ Theory of Ideas from both the historical and systematic points of view. From the historical point of view, the theme of the (late) scholastic influences on Descartes’ theory of ideas is tackled, while from the systematic point of view Descartes’ theory is interpreted dealing with the question of Cartesian representationalism or direct (cognitive) realism. An analysis of the immediate Scholastic texts, written by Jesuits (and taught at the Jesuit college La Flèche, where the young Descartes studied) is used by Clemenson to support his argument for a so-called weak version of direct realism, actually identical with a weak version of representationalism. The author of this review study, despite appreciating the connection of these two levels, making possible a consistent interpretation of some of Descartes’ ostensibly contradictory statements, draws attention to certain deficiencies and obscurities concerning, primarily, the scholastic dimension of the subject-matter., Daniel Heider., and Obsahuje poznámky a bibliografii
Using the example of Catherine of Siena († 1380), one of the possible motivations of writing down the legend is followed in the study, and the exploitability of Catherine for the promotion and official confirmation of the Dominican Third Order (1405). In the documents promoting the Third Order, her as-yet uncanonised holy example has an important place as a model for a Tertiary. This fact, however, is in contradiction with the evident "inappropriateness" of Catherine´s life as a real model for Tertiaries, for her extreme practices, exceeding the limits of the Rule. The real function and importance of St. Catherine´s model in the life of the Tertiaries should therefore be complementary viewed in the context of the legend of her repetant successor Mary of Venice, whose author is a great suppporter of Catherine´s holiness and Third Order, Tommaso da Siena. Whereas Catherine served as an ideal, Marie should be an example for practical imitation for Tertiaries., Kateřina Ptáčková., and Obsahuje poznámky pod čarou