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Rene Descartes Biography

René Descartes (/ˈdeɪˌkɑːrt/; French: [ʁəne dekaʁt]; Latinized: Renatus Cartesius; adjectival form: "Cartesian"; 31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) was 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. A native of the Kingdom of France, he spent about 20 years (1629–49) of his life in the Dutch Republic after serving for a while in the Dutch States Army of Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange and the Stadtholder of the United Provinces. He is generally considered one of the most notable intellectual representatives of the Dutch Golden Age.

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Rene Descartes Quotes

De omnibus dubitandum

Dubitandum, Omnibus, Philosophical

Conquer yourself rather than the world.

Conquer, World

I know that I exist; the question is, What is this 'I' that 'I' know.

Exist, Know, Knowledge, Knows, Question

There is nothing more ancient than the truth.

Ancient, Nothing, Truth

As I considered the matter carefully it gradually came to light that all those matters only were referred to mathematics in which order and measurements are investigated, and that it makes no difference whether it be in numbers, figures, stars, sounds or any other object that the question of measurement arises. I saw consequently that there must be some general science to explain that element as a whole which gives rise to problems about order and measurement, restricted as these are to no special subject matter. This, I perceived was called 'universal mathematics'.

Stars, Science, Differences, Special, Light, Order

Here I beg you to observe in passing that the scruples that prevented ancient writers from using arithmetical terms in geometry, and which can only be a consequence of their inability to perceive clearly the relation between these two subjects, introduced much obscurity and confusion into their explanations.

Confusion, Experience, Scruples, Subjects, Terms, Two

. . . it is certain that I am really distinct from my body, and can exist without it.

Awareness, Body, Certain, Distinct

The chief cause of human errors is to be found in the prejudices picked up in childhood.

Childhood, Education, Errors, Found, Prejudices, Teacher

The entire method consists in the order and arrangement of the things to which the mind's eye must turn so that we can discover some truth.

Discover, Eye, Mind, Order, Turn

All is to be doubted.

Doubted, Knowing Who You Are, Who You Are

And as it is the most generous souls who have most gratitude, it is those who have most pride, and who are most base and infirm, who most allow themselves to be carried away by anger and hatred.

Away, Carried, Gratitude, Hatred, Pride

If we possessed a thorough knowledge of all the parts of the seed of any animal (e. g. man), we could from that alone, be reasons entirely mathematical and certain, deduce the whole conformation and figure of each of its members, and, conversely if we knew several peculiarities of this conformation, we would from those deduce the nature of its seed.

Animal, Math, Nature, Reasons, Seed

Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.

Common Sense, Distributed, Fairly, Needs, Thinking

On the one hand I have a clear and distinct idea of myself, in so far as I am a thinking, non-extended thing; and on the other hand I have a distinct idea of body, in so far a this is simply an extended, non-thinking thing. And, accordingly, it is certain that I am really distinct from my body, and exist without it.

Body, Exist, Hands, Idea, Ideas, Thinking

Common sense is the best distributed thing in the world, for we all think we possess a good share of it.

Common, Common Sense, Sense, Think, Thinking, World

The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues.

Beer, Book, Capable, Greatest, Inspiration, Minds

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.

Acquire, Passion, Passions, Soul, Souls, Training

Illusory joy is often worth more than genuine sorrow.

Joy, Sorrow, Genuine, Illusory, Worth

This result could have been achieved either by his [God] endowing my intellect with a clear and distinct perception of everything about which I would ever deliberate, or simply by impressing the following rule so firmly upon my memory that I could never forget it: I should never judge anything that I do not clearly and distinctly understand.

Achieved, Following, God, Judging, Memories, Perception

We never understand a thing so well,and make it our own, as when we have discovered it for ourselves.

Discovered, Knowledge, Make, Thing, Understand, Wells

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