Nash L. Acosta 9- St.

Therese

Biography of René Descartes

The French thinker René Descartes is called the father of modern philosophy (the study of the
universe and man's place in it). His Discourse on Method and Meditations defined the basic problems of
philosophy for at least a century.
Early life
René Descartes was born on March 31, 1596, in La Haye, France. His father, Joachim, served in
the Parliament of Brittany, France. Jeanne Brochard Descartes, his mother, died in 1597. His father
remarried and René and his older brother and sister were raised by their maternal grandmother and by a
nurse for whom he retained a deep affection. In 1606 Descartes entered La Flèche, a religious college
established for the education of the sons of noblemen. As a child he was often ill and was allowed to
spend a portion of each day studying in bed. He used this time for meditation and thought. According to
Descartes's description of his eight-year course of studies at La Flèche, he often felt embarrassed at the
extent of his own ignorance.
Travel and study
After leaving college at age eighteen, Descartes earned a law degree in Poitiers, France. From
1618 to 1628 he traveled throughout Europe as a soldier. Living on income from inherited properties,
Descartes served without pay and saw little action. He was present, however, at one of the major battles
of the Thirty Years War (1618–48). Descartes sought out famous mathematicians, scientists, and
philosophers (those who seek wisdom) wherever he traveled. The most significant of these friendships
was with Isaac Beeckman, a Dutch mathematician, who encouraged Descartes to begin writing scientific
theories on mathematics and music.
Descartes was deeply influenced by three dreams he had in 1619 in Ulm, Germany. He
interpreted them to mean that all science is one and that its mastery is universal wisdom. This idea of the
unity of all science was in opposition to the belief that the sciences were distinguished by their different
objects of study. Descartes felt that if one could draw conclusions from a correct method of reasoning,
then one could know everything. He began to devote his efforts to proving that he had discovered such a
method. To focus better on his work, Descartes moved to Holland, where he lived peacefully for the next
twenty years.
First works
Descartes's first major work, Rules for the Direction of the Mind, was written by 1629 but was
not published until 1701. The work begins by assuming that man's knowledge has been limited by the
belief that science is determined by the various objects of experience. The first rule therefore states that
all true judgment depends on reason alone. For example, mathematical truths are valid even without
observation and experiment. The second rule argues that the standard for true knowledge should be the
certainty demanded of mathematical demonstrations. The third rule states that the mind should be
influenced only by what can clearly be observed. The remaining rules are devoted to the explanation of
these ideas or to showing their use in mathematical problems.
By 1634 Descartes had written The World, in which he supported several theories, including the
idea of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) that Earth is not the center of the universe but revolves around
the sun. Only fragments of the book survive, because when Descartes heard that a book published by
Galileo (1564–1642), which also supported Copernicus, had been condemned by the Catholic Church, his
fear of similar treatment led him to withdraw his work. In 1634 he also wrote the brief Treatise on Man,
which attempted to explain human physiology (a branch of biology dealing with organs, tissues, and
cells).
 Other works
In 1637 Descartes finished Discourse on Method, which uses a personal account of his education
as an example of the need for a new method of study. Descartes also presents four rules for reducing any
problem to its basics and then constructing solutions. In 1641 and 1642 Meditations on First Philosophy
René Descartes.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Appeared together with six sets of objections by other famous thinkers. The Meditations is one of
the most famous books in the history of philosophy. While earlier Descartes works were concerned with
explaining a method of thinking, this work applies that method to the problems of philosophy, including
the convincing of doubters, the existence of the human soul, the nature of God, and the basis of truth.
The remainder of Descartes's career was spent defending his positions. In 1644 he published the
Principles of Philosophy, which breaks down and expands the arguments of the earlier Meditations. In
1649 Descartes accepted an invitation from Queen Christina of Sweden (1626–1689) to become her
teacher. During this time he wrote The Passions of the Soul, which explains passion as a product of
physical and chemical processes. The weather in Sweden caused Descartes's health to suffer, however,
and after a brief illness he died in Stockholm in 1650.
John Lloyd E. Travilla 9- St. Therese

Biography of René Descartes

The French thinker René Descartes is called the father of modern philosophy (the study of
the universe and man's place in it). His Discourse on Method and Meditations defined the basic
problems of philosophy for at least a century.

Early life
René Descartes was born on March 31, 1596, in La Haye, France. His father, Joachim,
served in the Parliament of Brittany, France. Jeanne Brochard Descartes, his mother, died in 1597.
His father remarried and René and his older brother and sister were raised by their maternal
grandmother and by a nurse for whom he retained a deep affection. In 1606 Descartes entered La
Flèche, a religious college established for the education of the sons of noblemen. As a child he was
often ill and was allowed to spend a portion of each day studying in bed. He used this time for
meditation and thought. According to Descartes's description of his eight-year course of studies at
La Flèche, he often felt embarrassed at the extent of his own ignorance.

Travel and study

After leaving college at age eighteen, Descartes earned a law degree in Poitiers, France.
From 1618 to 1628 he traveled throughout Europe as a soldier. Living on income from inherited
properties, Descartes served without pay and saw little action. He was present, however, at one of
the major battles of the Thirty Years War (1618–48). Descartes sought out famous
mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers (those who seek wisdom) wherever he traveled. The
most significant of these friendships was with Isaac Beeckman, a Dutch mathematician, who
encouraged Descartes to begin writing scientific theories on mathematics and music.
Descartes was deeply influenced by three dreams he had in 1619 in Ulm, Germany. He
interpreted them to mean that all science is one and that its mastery is universal wisdom. This idea
of the unity of all science was in opposition to the belief that the sciences were distinguished by
their different objects of study. Descartes felt that if one could draw conclusions from a correct
method of reasoning, then one could know everything. He began to devote his efforts to proving
that he had discovered such a method. To focus better on his work, Descartes moved to Holland,
where he lived peacefully for the next twenty years.

First works
Descartes's first major work, Rules for the Direction of the Mind, was written by 1629 but
was not published until 1701. The work begins by assuming that man's knowledge has been limited by
the belief that science is determined by the various objects of experience. The first rule
therefore states that all true judgment depends on reason alone. For example, mathematical truths
are valid even without observation and experiment. The second rule argues that the standard for
true knowledge should be the certainty demanded of mathematical demonstrations. The third rule
states that the mind should be influenced only by what can clearly be observed. The remaining rules
are devoted to the explanation of these ideas or to showing their use in mathematical problems.
By 1634 Descartes had written The World, in which he supported several theories, including
the idea of Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) that Earth is not the center of the universe but
revolves around the sun. Only fragments of the book survive, because when Descartes heard that a
book published by Galileo (1564–1642), which also supported Copernicus, had been condemned by
the Catholic Church, his fear of similar treatment led him to withdraw his work. In 1634 he also
wrote the brief Treatise on Man, which attempted to explain human physiology (a branch of biology
dealing with organs, tissues, and cells).

Other works
In 1637 Descartes finished Discourse on Method, which uses a personal account of his
education as an example of the need for a new method of study. Descartes also presents four rules
for reducing any problem to its basics and then constructing solutions. In 1641 and 1642
Meditations on First Philosophy
René Descartes.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Appeared together with six sets of objections by other famous thinkers. The Meditations is
one of the most famous books in the history of philosophy. While earlier Descartes works were
concerned with explaining a method of thinking, this work applies that method to the problems of
philosophy, including the convincing of doubters, the existence of the human soul, the nature of
God, and the basis of truth.
The remainder of Descartes's career was spent defending his positions. In 1644 he published the
Principles of Philosophy, which breaks down and expands the arguments of the earlier Meditations.
In 1649 Descartes accepted an invitation from Queen Christina of Sweden (1626–1689) to become
her teacher. During this time he wrote The Passions of the Soul, which explains passion as a product
of physical and chemical processes. The weather in Sweden caused Descartes's health to suffer,
however, and after a brief illness he died in Stockholm in 1650.