While the purely mathematical and logical aspects of the Cartesian Algebra or “Science Universelle” have been masterfully expounded by L. Brunschvicg¹ and its further development into Leibniz’ “General Science” has been excellently treated by L. Couturat,² who also confined himself to the purely mathematical and logical aspects of Leibniz’ work, the sociological aspects of Descartes’ “Science Universelle” have not been examined by these authors or any others. It may be asked whether such a sociological problem exists at all. In order to understand that it does, we must realize that all Descartes’ works are sharply marked by the imprint of mechanical principles; that Descartes derived these principles from his mechanics, that is to say, from the study of machines, and then extended these principles to physics and finally to the whole universe.