About
René Descartes, born on March 31, 1596, in La Haye en Touraine (France), and died on February 11, 1650, in Stockholm (Sweden), is considered the father of modern philosophy. Educated at the Jesuit college of La Flèche, he studied law at Poitiers before settling in the Dutch Republic, where he wrote his major works. His Discourse on Method (1637) introduced the Cartesian coordinate system, laying the foundations of analytic geometry. In his Meditations on First Philosophy (1641), he established the famous 'Cogito ergo sum' and developed the dualism of mind and body. He died in Stockholm, where he had come to tutor Queen Christina.
Major works
- Discours de la méthode (1637)philosophical essay
- Méditations métaphysiques (1641)philosophical essay
- Principes de la philosophie (1644)philosophical treatise
- Les Passions de l'âme (1649)philosophical treatise
- La Géométrie (1637)mathematical essay
Key milestones
- 1619Had three visionary dreams that inspired his project of a unified science grounded in mathematical method.
- 1649Accepted Queen Christina of Sweden's invitation to tutor her in Stockholm.
- 1650Died in Stockholm of pneumonia, likely aggravated by the harsh climate and early-morning schedule imposed by the queen.
Themes
Methodological skepticismMind-body dualismRationalismExistence of GodAnalytic geometry
Sources: plato.stanford.edu · iep.utm.edu