Malebranche’s Ambivalence

Abstract

Malebranche by Mariangela Priarolo is the only general introduction to Malebranche available in the Italian secondary literature. The main contents of this recent monograph are here examined in terms of the intertwining between religion and philosophy that is characteristic of Malebranche’s thought. The overlapping of and oscillation between faith and reason, between revealed religion and intellectual metaphysics are discussed. Finally, the reasons for the ‘disappearance’ of Malebranche as a prominent, classical author of reference in the 19th and 20th century philosophy are considered.