Rene Descartes
Rene Descartes
René Descarteswas a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. Dubbed the father of modern western philosophy, much of subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day. He spent about 20 years of his life in the Dutch Republic...
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth31 March 1596
CityIndre-et-Loire, France
science body matter
The nature of matter, or body considered in general, consists not in its being something which is hard or heavy or coloured, or which affects the senses in any way, but simply in its being something which is extended in length, breadth and depth.
rocks doubt sake
I did not imitate the skeptics who doubt only for doubting's sake, and pretend to be always undecided; on the contrary, my whole intention was to arrive at a certainty, and to dig away the drift and the sand until I reached the rock or the clay beneath.
knows
The only thing that I know, is that I know nothing
expectations might enough
Archimedes, that he might transport the entire globe ... demanded only a point that was firm and immovable; so also, I shall be entitled to entertain the highest expectations, if I am fortunate enough to discover only one thing that is certain and indubitable.
differences mind body
There is a great difference between mind and body insomuch as body is by nature always divisible, and the mind is entirely indivisible.
perseverance water veins
It must not be thought that it is ever possible to reach the interior earth by any perseverance in mining: both because the exterior earth is too thick, in comparison with human strength; and especially because of the intermediate waters, which would gush forth with greater impetus, the deeper the place in which their veins were first opened; and which would drown all miners.
music moving delight
The object of music is a Sound. The end; to delight, and move various Affections in us.
deceived-us prudent deceiving
Whatever I have up till now accepted as most true and assured I have gotten either from the senses or through the senses. But from time to time I have found that the senses deceive, and it is prudent never to trust completely those who have deceived us even once.
discovery statistics available
Thus each truth discovered was a rule available in the discovery of subsequent ones.
philosophical
Omnia apud me mathematica fiunt.
challenges looks reputation
Few look for truth; many prowl about for a reputation of profundity by arrogantly challenging whichever arguments are the best.
ontology limits logic
We call infinite that thing whose limits we have not perceived, and so by that word we do not signify what we understand about a thing, but rather what we do not understand.
knowing-who-you-are doubted who-you-are
All is to be doubted.
passion soul training
Even those who have the weakest souls could acquire absolute mastery over all their passions if we employed sufficient ingenuity in training and guiding them.