-
 French
philosopher and scientist
- Popularly known as the father of modern
philosophy, Rene Descartes pioneered a new approach to human knowledge,
based on a faith in the ability of reason to benefit humanity.
The son of a French nobleman, his gift for mathematics emerged during
his Jesuit education. In 1619 he dreamed of reworking knowledge on
a more rational basis, and after ten years of travel in Europe he
chose a secluded life in the Netherlands to pursue his goal. In his
"Meditations," written in French, not Latin, to allow a
wider readership, Descartes began by doubting all knowledge, finding
certainty only in the statement "I think, therefore I am."
He went on to argue that everything should be categorized as either
mind or matter, and that all that is matter functions mechanically.
He also helped to found coordinate geometry and made major contributions
to optics.
In 1649 Descartes went to Stockholm to instruct Queen Christina of
Sweden in philosophy. Accustomed to meditating in bed until 11 a.m.,
he fell into bad health when the queen insisted on taking her lessons
at 5 a.m. He died of pneumonia one year later.
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