Rene DescartesRene Descartes

Philosopher Philosopher and Authorand Author

By By Charles Charles SmithSmith

Philosopher Philosopher and Authorand Author

BackgroundBackground

• Born March 31, 1596.• Took a brief stint in the military after

getting formal schooling at La Fleche & Poitiers.

• Designed a plan to apply mathematical methods into unifying human knowledge.

• Influences were Plato, Aquinas, Aristotle, Ockham, Suarez, and many more.

• Died on February 11, 1650.

Descartes PhilosophiesDescartes Philosophies

• Method Method

• Doubt and ExistenceDoubt and Existence

• CartesianismCartesianism

MethodMethod

Wrote about Method in his first Wrote about Method in his first rationalist version of rationalist version of Discourse on Discourse on Method.Method.

In this he stated that it is the wrong In this he stated that it is the wrong method to get traditional education method to get traditional education and he also wrote about the and he also wrote about the deficiencies of traditional education.deficiencies of traditional education.

DOUBT AND EXISTENCE

He wrote about Doubt and Existence in Meditation on First Philosophy.

He argued that someone who doesn’t believe because of what they heard can overcome this by thinking on their own.

Descartes offered to prove that God does exist, but he has to prove that no one will believe when they first hear something.

He states that people would like facts and actual events to occur where it will make them believe.

CartesianismCartesianism

The overall philosophy of Cartesianism is The overall philosophy of Cartesianism is that the mind is separate from the body that the mind is separate from the body and that the body can be better and that the body can be better understood. understood.

It follows also the fact that just because It follows also the fact that just because something gives you pleasure it doesn’t something gives you pleasure it doesn’t make it beautiful.make it beautiful.

Descartes DeathDescartes Death

The reason to be said for Descartes The reason to be said for Descartes death is Pneumonia.death is Pneumonia.

He was accustomed to working in He was accustomed to working in bed to noon, but due to his bosses bed to noon, but due to his bosses early morning study, he had a early morning study, he had a dramatic fall due to a lack of sleep dramatic fall due to a lack of sleep while sick.while sick.