René Descartes
At a glance:
- Series: Dictionary of World Biography: The 17th and 18th Centuries
- Categories: Philosophy, Literature, Publishing, Science
- Subcategories: Philosophers, Mathematics, Mathematicians
- Curriculum: Renaissance History, French History, 17th Century European History
Article abstract: Descartes’ cardinal contribution is the extension of the mathematical method to all fields of knowledge. He is the father of analytic geometry and the author of the most universally appropriate version of mind-body dualism in the history of philosophy.
Early Life
René Descartes was born to one of the most respected families among the French-speaking nobility in Touraine. His father, Joachim, held the post of counselor to the Parlement de Bordeaux. Descartes’ mother died of tuberculosis only a few days after giving birth to her son,...
[The entire page is 2182 words long]