Rene Descartes Essay - 611 Words

Rene Descartes Rene Descartes was a math philosopher, he was born in Toures, on March 31 1596, and he died at Stockholm on February 11 1650. His father was forced to spend half the year at Rennes, where he was a councilman. The rest of the time he spent with his family of Les Cartes at La Haye. Rene was the second child out of four kids. At the age of eight, he was sent to the Jesuit School at La Fleche. The school had very good education and discipline. On account of his delicate health, he was permitted to lie in bed until late in the mornings. In 1647, he visited Pascal, he told himself that the only way to do good work in math, and to keep his health was to never allow anyone to make him get up in the morning before he felt†¦show more content†¦The values of x and y determined the co-coordinates of a number of points which forms a curve, of which the equation f(x,y)=0 has a geometrical property. Rene said that a point in a space could be determined by three co-coordinates. Rene pointed out the very important facts that two or more curves can be referred to one and the same system of co-coordinates, and that the points in which two curves intersect can be determined by finding the roots common to their equations. Rene wrote three Geometric books. The first two are about analytical geometry, and the third is an analysis of algebra that was current then. Rene also paid particular attention to the theory of tangents to curves. Back then the current definition of a tangent at a point was a straight line through the point such that between it and the curve no other straight line could be drawn, that is the straight line of closet contact. Rene described his theory by giving the general rule for drawing tangents and normals to a roulette. The method that Rene used to find the tangent or normal at any point of a given curve was he determined the center and radius of a circle, which should cut the curve in two consecutive points. The tangent to the circle at that point will be the required tangent to the curve. In modern text books it isShow MoreRelated The Meditations by Rene Descartes1003 Words   |  5 PagesIn Descartes’ Meditations, his goal to prove the existence of things could only be accomplished if he was logical, clear, and correct in his thoughts and writings. The most important issues he noted were the threat of being deceived and the potential of being incorrect in his judgments, both of which would lead him into error. Error exists as a problem that individuals encounter on a regular basis, and it also exists as a focal point in Descartes’ Meditations. Descartes defines error as â€Å"a privationRead More Rene Descartes Essay1094 Words   |  5 PagesRene Descartes was a famous French mathematician, scientist and philosopher. He was arguably the first major philosopher in the modern era to make a serious effort to defeat skepticism. His views about knowledge and certainty, as well as his views about the relationship between mind and body have been very influe ntial over the last three centuries. Descartes was born at La Haye (now called Descartes), and educated at the Jesuit College of La Flà ¨che between 1606 and 1614. Descartes later claimedRead MoreEssay on Renà © Descartes759 Words   |  4 PagesRenà © Descartes Renà © Descartes was a French philosopher and also mathematician. His method of doubt led him to the famous cogito ergo sum when translated means I am thinking, therefore I exist. This cogito was the foundation for Descartes quest for certain knowledge. He explored doubt and how we can prove our own existence, by taking the first steps of scepticism. His book Meditations On First Philosophy, was written in six parts. EachRead More Rene Descartes Essay1271 Words   |  6 PagesI think, therefore I am Rene Descartes was a man obsessed with finding things out for himself, an intellectual who contributed to the field of psychology. Born in the 16th century, Descartes grew up in a society where ideas, thoughts and perceptions were not questioned but were supposed to be understood and supported. While growing up and through his studies, Descartes began to make strides in the fields of philosophy, mathematics and science. Descartes was a man who challenged accepted ideasRead MoreAppraisal of Renà © Descartes1209 Words   |  5 Pages Meditations on First Philosophy and The Passions of the Soul, Renà © Descartes lays out his views on the mind. Descartes is a dualist, specifically an interactionalist, which is someone who believes that mental states and physical states are distinct from one another, yet still affect each other. This view, however, faces significant obstacles, to which Descartes believes he has an answer for. In this paper I will outline Descartes’ argument for the distinctness between the mind and body, explicateRead MoreA Brief Biography of Rene Descartes1580 Words   |  6 Pagesworks of philosopher Rene Descartes, who had endorsed the mechanistic conception of the world and the human body by coining notions such as mind, substance, and the knowledge argument; although his notions were not always accepted, he managed to provide valid support. Born in France, Rene Descartes, dubbed The Father of Modern Philosophy was, in a way, a Renaissance man having contributed influence amongst subjects such science, mathematics, psychology, and philosophy. Descartes was the medium ofRead MoreA Brief Look at Rene Descartes829 Words   |  3 Pages Rene Descartes was a brilliant man who came up with many inventions and thoughts to put in people’s minds and let them ponder off and question life in itself. In one of the many things Rene Descartes created, he wrote a book called Discourse on the Method and Meditations. Descartes discusses how there are two main proofs of God’s existence, the casual argument in meditation three and the ontological argument in meditation five. There are a few differences between these two meditations and one isRead MoreThe Meditations of Rene Descartes Essay493 Words   |  2 PagesThe Meditations of Rene Descartes In 1916 Rene Descartes wrote What I wish to finish is . . . an absolutely new science enabling one to resolve all questions proposed on any order of continuos or discontinuous quantities. (p8 Methods Meditations). He made this ambitious statement at the young age of twenty-three. Renes ambition would take him far but it kept him from becoming the Aristotle of the modern age. The Meditations were an attempt to solve the many questions about life, existenceRead MoreRene Descartes and John Locke698 Words   |  3 PagesRene Descartes was a highly influential French philosopher, mathematician, scientist and writer. Many elements of his philosophy have precedent in late Aristolelianism and earlier philosophers like St. Augustine. Descartes was a major figure in 17th century continental rationalism, later advocated by Baruch Spinoza and opposed by the empiricist school of thought consisting of Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. His most famous statement is: Cogito ergo sum, translation in En glish I think therefore I am.Read MoreEssay about Rene Descartes1730 Words   |  7 PagesRene Descartes was born on March 31, 1596 in La Haye Touraine, France. Descartes was considered a jack of all trades, making major contributions to the areas of anatomy, cognitive science, optics, mathematics and philosophy. He has been referred to as the father of modern rationalism, soldier of fortune, scholar, pilgrim, traveler, and a firm adherent of the Roman Catholic faith. He was educated at the Jesuit college of La Fleche in Anjou. He entered the college at the age of eight years, just