Definition for Arnauld, Antoine
From Biology Forums Dictionary
Arnauld, Antoine (1612 to 1694): French philosopher, lawyer, mathematician, and priest. He was a controversialist, and his activities as head of the Jansenists led to his expulsion from the Sorbonne and persecution. He collaborated with Pascal and Pierre Nicole (1625-95) on the work known as the Port Royal Logic (1662). Perhaps best remembered for his objection to the Meditations (clear and distinct perception establishes God’s existence, but God’s existence is necessary to validate clear and distinct perception). Arnauld did not confine his criticism to Descartes; he attacked Malebranche’s theory of perception, and Liebniz’s theory of substance.