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
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.
science lord masters
And thereby make ourselves, as it were, the lords and masters of nature.
science might able
I should consider that I know nothing about physics if I were able to explain only how things might be, and were unable to demonstrate that they could not be otherwise.
aries
Nothing comes out of nothing.
peaceful solitude mind
Now therefore, that my mind is free from all cares, and that I have obtained for myself assured leisure in peaceful solitude, I shall apply myself seriously and freely to the general destruction of all my former opinions.
determine follow ought power probable
When it is not in our power to determine what it true, we ought to follow what is most probable
books books-and-reading conversation finest good men past reading
The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of past centuries.