Pierre-Sylvain Regis

Pierre-Sylvain Régis (1632–1707) was a French Cartesian philosopher and a prominent critic of Spinoza. Born in La Salvetat de Blanquefort, near Agen, he received a classical education before moving to Paris. He became a follower of René Descartes after attending the lectures of Jacques Rohault. Régis then taught Cartesian principles in Toulouse (1665), Aigues-Mortes, Montpellier (1671), and Paris (1680). His lectures were eventually ended due to a prohibition against teaching Cartesianism. His major work, *Cours entier de philosophie ou Système général selon les principles de Descartes* (1690), presented Cartesian philosophy systematically. He opposed Malebranche's idealism and modified Descartes' system towards empiricism, questioning innate ideas and suggesting all ideas are modifications of the soul. Régis also wrote *Réponse au livre qui a pour titre Censura philosophiæ Cartesianæ* (1691) and *Réponse aux reflexions critique de M. Duhamel sur le système cartésian de M. Régis* (1692) in response to criticisms. His other works included *Usage de la raison et de la foi, ou l'accord de la raison et de la foi*, which featured a refutation of Spinoza's views on God. He was elected a member of the French Academy of Sciences in 1699 and died in Paris in 1707.