René Descartes
- Born:
- March 31, 1596, La Haye en Touraine, Kingdom of France (now Descartes, Indre-et-Loire, France)
- Died:
- February 11, 1650, Stockholm, Sweden
- Nationality:
- French
- Profession(s):
- Philosopher, Mathematician, Scientist, Writer
Early Life and Education
- Born into a family of legal professionals.
- Educated at the Jesuit Collège Royal Henry-Le-Grand in La Flèche from 1607 to 1615, studying classical literature, logic, and traditional Aristotelian philosophy.
- Earned a law degree from the University of Poitiers in 1616, but did not practice law.
Career and Major Achievements
- Enlisted in the army of Maurice of Nassau in 1618, where he began to formulate his philosophical and scientific ideas.
- Spent several years traveling and studying, developing his analytical geometry and methodological skepticism.
- Lived in the Dutch Republic from 1628 to 1649, where he wrote and published his most important works.
- Was invited to Stockholm by Queen Christina of Sweden in 1649 to tutor her in philosophy.
Notable Works
- Regulae ad directionem ingenii (Rules for the Direction of the Mind, written c. 1628, published posthumously)
- Le Monde (The World, written c. 1630-33, unpublished during his lifetime)
- Discours de la Méthode (Discourse on the Method, 1637) - included essays on optics, meteorology, and geometry.
- Meditationes de Prima Philosophia (Meditations on First Philosophy, 1641)
- Principia Philosophiae (Principles of Philosophy, 1644)
- Les Passions de l'âme (The Passions of the Soul, 1649)
Legacy and Impact
René Descartes, often considered the "father of modern philosophy," profoundly influenced subsequent Western thought. His emphasis on reason and systematic doubt revolutionized philosophical inquiry. His work in analytic geometry bridged algebra and geometry, laying the groundwork for calculus and other advancements in mathematics and science. Discussion of 'rene descartes biography picot' often highlights his articulation of the mind-body dualism and his famous statement, "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am").