Descartes is often called the father of modern philosophy because he started again from scratch, doubting everything he could until he reached a single certainty. That certainty, 'I think, therefore I am', became one of the most quoted lines ever written. He was also a gifted mathematician, and his idea of plotting shapes with numbers on a grid connected algebra and geometry for the first time. Every graph drawn in a school maths lesson owes something to him. His sharp division between mind and body still shapes debates in philosophy, psychology and neuroscience today.
Key Milestones
1618: Joins the army of Maurice of Nassau
1628: Settles in the Netherlands
1637: Publishes Discourse on the Method
1641: Publishes Meditations on First Philosophy
1644: Publishes Principles of Philosophy
1650: Dies in Stockholm
René Descartes ( day-KART, also DAY-kart; French:; 31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist whose work was foundational to mathematics and modern philosophy.
