The Idea of the Instant in Descartes's Philosophy is the first English translation of a major and influential interpretation of Descartes's philosophy by one of the most influential figures in twentieth-century French philosophy. While discussing the role of the instant within Descartes's philosophy, Jean Wahl develops an original account of temporality that is central to Wahl's entire and extensive oeuvre and that has influenced a variety of 20th -century French thinkers, most notably Gilles Deleuze.



In addition to including the original French text, the volume contains an introduction to Jean Wahl by Alan D. Schrift and English translations of three essays, one written exclusively for this book, by Frederic Worms, Director of the cole Normale Superieure, Wahl's most important French interpreter, and one of the most influential philosophers working in France today.