Schwartz, Claire <br/><br/>
The question of the infinity of the world and its Cartesian answers 

 -  2014.<br/>							 
<br/><br/> 56 
<br/><br/> The indefinite nature of created extension is one of the main topics discussed in the correspondence between Descartes and More. Descartes’ refusal to apply the category of the infinite to the limitless universe puzzled More and can only be understood in the context of former Cartesian texts which determine his answer in these letters. The Cartesian reasons behind the distinction between infinite and indefinite are not essentially connected to the consideration of the limits of the universe or to the essence of bodies but to the idea of God and the proof of his existence. This Cartesian distinction remains quite fascinating, albeit pretty ambiguous. It looks as if Malebranche, though absent from this exchange, could have offered a more coherent answer to More’s objections while remaining faithful to the Cartesian principles challenged by the English philosopher in this correspondence, and could thus be instrumental in identifying Descartes’ specific reasons to deny the infinity of the universe.