La manière de bien penser dans les ouvrages d'esprit

The Way of Proper Thinking in Works of the Mind proposes stories, poems and texts of eloquence for readers who wish to educate themselves on literary content regarding the mind and intellect. Deeply rooted in Cartesian philosophy, the book’s goal, as outlined in the preface, “is not to learn how to understand simple ideas or to form arguments with the precision demanded by reason, aided by reflections and guidelines” (iii). Rather, the dialogues “clarify the most obscure questions” and clearly outline the arguments for and against subjects of all kinds (iv). Calling to mind Socratic dialogues, books like Bouhours’ were openly educational, yet attempted to captivate their readers’ attention through storytelling.