Philosophers
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French philosopher and mathematician (1596 to 1650), traditionally regarded as the founder of modern rationalism and of modern philosophy generally. His Meditations on First Philosophy (1641) establishes the method of systematic doubt culminating in the cogito, I think therefore I am, as the one indubitable foundation for knowledge, a rationalist methodology later extended and revised by Baruch Spinoza and Gottfried Leibniz.
Facts
Notable PublicationMeditations on First Philosophy (1641) 1 Office HeldCourt philosopher and tutor to Queen Christina of Sweden 1 Arrived in Stockholm in October 1649; lessons began in December 1649 at 5am and were cut short by Descartes' death from pneumonia on 11 February 1650. TraditionFounder of Continental Rationalism 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Descartes' mechanistic view that an organism is nothing but a machine is a historical touchstone philosophy of biology still argues with.
Critiqued Here
Leibniz rejected Descartes claim that matter is nothing but extension, arguing that extension alone cannot explain the activity and unity bodies display, which requires immaterial, force-bearing monads underneath the phenomena.
In Branch
Influenced
Spinoza built his rationalist metaphysics in sustained critical dialogue with Descartes' dualism and method of doubt; this closes the gap of Spinoza carrying no founding figure on record for rationalism.
Traditions Founded
Works Attributed
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and Informationentry: Rene DescartesQuote, entry: Rene Descartes
During the course of his life, he was a mathematician first, a natural scientist or “natural philosopher” second, and a metaphysician third.
1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and Informationentry: Rene Descartes, LifeQuote, entry: Rene Descartes, Life
Descartes was born on 31 March 1596 in his maternal grandmother’s house in La Haye, in the Touraine region of France.
1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and InformationIn Category: PhilosophersView the Source 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and InformationIn Branch: MetaphysicsView the Source 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and InformationIn Branch: EpistemologyView the Source 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and InformationIn Branch: Philosophy of Mind, s.v. DualismView the Source 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and InformationTraditions Founded: Rationalism, s.v. Rationalism vs. EmpiricismView the Source 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and InformationAssociated With: Gottfried Wilhelm LeibnizView the Source 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and InformationAssociated With: Epistemology, entry: EpistemologyView the Source 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Stanford University, Center for the Study of Language and InformationAssociated With: Philosophy of Mind, entry: DualismView the Source The Autonomy of Biology (Mayr, Ludus Vitalis 2004)
Associated With: Philosophy of Biology, p. 16, VitalismQuote, Associated With: Philosophy of Biology, p. 16, Vitalism
An organism is really nothing but a machine, he said
Discourse on the Method (Wikipedia)
WikipediaWorks Attributed: Discourse on the Method, IntroductionQuote, Works Attributed: Discourse on the Method, Introduction
It is best known as the source of the famous quotation "Je pense, donc je suis" ("I think, therefore I am").
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