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René Descartes

René Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, and writer. He has been dubbed the "Father of Modern Philosophy."

498 Questions

Was René Descartes ever married?

René Descartes had a relationship with a servant girl named Helène Jans. They had a daughter but never got married and he never married anyone else.

What institution did both Bacon and Rene Descartes challenge?

Both Bacon and René Descartes challenged the established authority and teachings of the Scholastic tradition in academic and scientific institutions of their time. They advocated for a new method of scientific inquiry and critical thinking that moved away from relying solely on tradition and accepted dogma.

What college degrees did René Descartes have?

René Descartes received a law degree from the University of Poitiers but did not pursue it further. He also studied mathematics and philosophy independently.

Was Rene Descartes a dualist?

Yes, Rene Descartes was a dualist. He believed in the separation of mind and body, asserting that the mind (or soul) and body are distinct entities that interact with each other. This idea is famously encapsulated in his statement "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am).

What did Descartes mean by you think therefore you are?

He meant that you can't trust your 5 senses to know that what you see/hear etc is real, and if you are really here right now. Your senses can mislead you in how the world looks (eg colour blindness) and you might not be here at all (eg dreaming - or imagine being inside 'the matrix' - how would you know you were in a false reality when everything seems real?) 'I think therefore I am' was Descartes' way of saying that your own consciousness was the only evidence that you exist, as you must exist somewhere and in some state to be thinking. Everything else around you could be an illusion.

What problem was descartes most concerned about?

Descartes was most concerned with the problem of skepticism and uncertainty in knowledge. He aimed to establish a foundation of certain knowledge that could not be doubted, leading to his famous statement "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). This led him to develop the philosophy of foundationalism, which seeks to build knowledge from clear and distinct ideas.

Who influenced René Descartes?

Descartes was influenced by various philosophers and mathematicians, including ancient Greek thinkers like Plato and Aristotle, as well as more contemporary figures like Galileo and Pierre Gassendi. His own work in philosophy and mathematics also fueled his ideas and reasoning process.

What is Rene Descartes job?

René Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who is often referred to as the father of modern philosophy. He made significant contributions to the fields of philosophy, mathematics, and early scientific thought.

What is descartes famous for?

Descartes is famous for being a total badass. He made many important contributions to mathematics. [The "Cartesian" plane that we learn about in middle school is named for him. "Analytical Geometry" is a term for the synthesis of geometric and algebraic methods.]

His philosophical influence is vast, but he's best known for his "I think therefore I am" (cogito ergo sum) argument. In short, this means that we can have radical doubts whether what we hear, see, and think are really there or really true, because we may be dreaming or hallucinating. But we cannot doubt that we ourselves actually do exist, because even when I am doubting, I cannot deny that there is a "me" that is doubting. In short, he argues that the fact that I experience my thinking proves my existence. I think therefore I am.

What did Rene descartes contribute to psychology?

By separating science from religion, Descartes allowed scientists to focus on their work without fear of a heresy trial. This theory has impacted psychology placed the study of the mind outside the realm of science and made it either be approached in a purely mechanical view of behavior or include the subject to be studied but not under science.

Where was René Descartes hometown?

Born in La Haye (south of France) Later relocated and died in Sweden in palace of Queen Christina

Did René Descartes say people could not govern themselves?

René Descartes did not specifically say that people could not govern themselves. However, he did emphasize the role of reason and rationality in self-governance and believed that individuals should strive to attain self-knowledge and self-mastery through the use of critical thinking and reflection.

What did Rene decartes do?

René Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who is considered the father of modern philosophy. He is known for his dualism theory, "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am), and his contributions to mathematics through the development of Cartesian coordinates. Descartes made significant advancements in the fields of metaphysics, epistemology, and analytical geometry.

René Descartes siblings?

René Descartes had two siblings: a brother named Paul and a sister named Jeanne. Both of his siblings entered religious life, while Descartes pursued a career in philosophy and mathematics.

How did René Descartes die?

It isn't quite clear how he died but we do know that he moved to Sweden in 1649.However he did not survive his first winter there.

In 1649, Queen Christina of Sweden offered Descartes to come and teach her either mathematics or philosophy in her castle. She apparently was a hard working person; Descartes was required to start his lessons with her at 5am! Descartes still maintained a life long habit he acquired in childhood to get up at 11 o'clock(he was very weak even when he was a boy, and was allowed to stay in bed for most of the morning); as he broke his habit, he broke his health too and died of pneumonia he managed to catch while on way to one of the cold early morning lessons.

What was René Descartes?

René Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who is often called the father of modern philosophy. He is best known for his statement "I think, therefore I am" and his development of Cartesian dualism, which separates mind and body as two distinct substances. His work laid the foundation for rationalism and much of modern mathematics and philosophy.

What did Rene descartes believed in one absolute truth?

René Descartes believed in the concept of an absolute truth that could be established through reason and rational thought. He famously asserted "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"), positing that the very act of doubt or thinking is proof of one's existence and a foundational truth. Descartes sought to build knowledge on this certainty, arguing that through systematic doubt and methodical reasoning, one could arrive at undeniable truths about existence and the nature of reality. His approach laid the groundwork for modern philosophy and emphasized the importance of skepticism in the pursuit of knowledge.

What were Rene Descartes' jobs?

René Descartes was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. He is best known for his contributions to philosophy, particularly for his work "Meditations on First Philosophy," which laid the groundwork for modern Western philosophy. In mathematics, he developed Cartesian coordinate systems and made significant advancements in algebra and geometry. Additionally, Descartes engaged in scientific inquiries, contributing to optics and mechanics.

What nicknames does Rene Goulet go by?

Rene Goulet goes by The Guy With The Hair, and The #1 Frenchman.

How did Descartes and Kepler contribute to the new scientific thinking?

They showed how mathematics and measurement could be used in scientific investigation.

(~PSPLieKur)