René Descartes

René Descartes, also known as Renatus Cartesius, was a French philosopher, mathematician, physicist, and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the "Father of Modern Philosophy", and much of subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which continue to be studied closely to this day. In particular, his Meditations on First Philosophy continues to be a standard text at most university philosophy departments. Descartes' influence in mathematics is also apparent; the Cartesian coordinate system—allowing geometric shapes to be expressed in algebraic equations—was named after him. He is credited as the father of analytical geometry. Descartes was also one of the key figures in the Scientific Revolution.

Descartes frequently sets his views apart from those of his predecessors. In the opening section of the Passions of the Soul, a treatise on the Early Modern version of what are now commonly called emotions, Descartes goes so far as to assert that he will write on this topic "as if no one had written on these matters before". Many elements of his philosophy have precedents in late Aristotelianism, the revived Stoicism of the 16th century, or in earlier philosophers like St. Augustine. In his natural philosophy, he differs from the Schools on two major points: First, he rejects the analysis of corporeal substance into matter and form; second, he rejects any appeal to ends—divine or natural—in explaining natural phenomena. In his theology, he insists on the absolute freedom of God’s act of creation.¹

Subjects

Early works to 1800, Science, Methodology, Philosophy, Emotions, Metaphysics, First philosophy, Mind and body, Early works to 1850, Modern Philosophy, Geometry, Correspondence, Physiology, French Philosophy, Music, Reasoning, Symbolic and mathematical Logic, Acoustics and physics, Collected works, Science, methodology, History, Refraction, Analytic Geometry, Philosophers, Descartes, rene, 1596-1650

Places

France, Amsterdam, Germany, Netherlands, New York, Pennsylvania, Sweden, Wall Street

People

René Descartes (1596-1650), Frans Burman (1628-1679), Henricus Regius (1598-1679), Rene Descartes (1596-1650), Elisabeth Countess Palatine (1618-1680), Gijsbert Voet (1589-1676), Samuel S. de Sacy, Bartleby, Christina Queen of Sweden (1626-1689), Christine (1626-1689;) reine de Suède), Cicero, Ethelred, Ginger Nut, J. H. von Kirchmann (1802-1884), John Jacob Astor, Laurence Julien Lafleur (1907-1966), Madeline Usher, Nippers, Pierre Hector Chanut sieur de Bisches (1604-1667), Ren©♭ Descartes (1596-1650), René Descartes (1596-1650,), Roderick Usher, Turkey, Élisabeth de Bohême (1618-1680;) princesse palatine)

Time

17th century, Early works to 1800, 16th-17th centuries, 17 w., 1637, 16th century, 21st century, Early works to 1850, Obras anteriores a 1800, S. XVII

ID Numbers

• OLID: OL116826A
• BookBrainz: be9be57d-b0d4-4264-b028-14377e03bde0
• GoodReads: 36556
• ISNI: 0000000121296144
• IMDb: nm1548818
• Library of Congress Names: n79061201
• LibraryThing: descartesrene
• LibriVox: 4158
• MusicBrainz: 05099e0b-bbb1-4aca-97b8-7eca9fbae68a
• Project Gutenberg: 44
• SBN/ICCU (National Library Service of Italy): CFIV009080
• VIAF: 41838958
• Wikidata: Q9191
• Inventaire.io: wd:Q9191

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Alternative names

• Descartes R
• Rene Descartes
• René Descartes
• Rene, Descartes
• Rene? Descartes
• René Descartes
• Descartes
• Renâe Descartes
• René Descartes
• Descartes Rene
• Rene Decartes
• RenE Descartes.
• René Decartes
• René Déscartes
• Renee Descartes
• Descartes, René, 1596-1650.
• Réné Descartes
• Descartes,Rene デカルト,ルネ (1596-1650)