Philosopher and Mathematician
French
1596-1650
Alhough Descartes dabbled in the fields of cognitive science, anatomy and optics, his major works impacted math and philosophy. Indeed, Descartes's unique approach to philosophy, his belief that math transcends the senses, has changed the way philosophers since his arrival have viewed philosophy. (Descartes believes that there is some mathematical order to the universe).
Descartes believes that all science is based on mathematics, and Descartes uses the combination of ancient geomoetry and his own Cartesian coordinate system to illustrate this belief. In Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes explores topics such as God, the concepts of self, and the mind. The opening to the book is riveting because Descartes appeals to our reason; he argues that if our senses are an illusion created by a malicious deceiver and if this deciver still cannot cause us to doubt our existence, then "I", an immaterial mind of the human being, must exist. (This is where Descartes coins the phrase, "I think therefore I am," which is known as his "cogito ergo sum."
With this idea, we are given cartesian theory, which has two parts: mind and matter. According to Descartes, there are physical bodies that are constantly moving through space, but the mind, "I", exists outside of spacial matter. Using the argument from above, Descartes proves the existence of a mind.
Other sources of information
The Window-Rene Descartes
Descartes's Meditations Home Page
Descartes
Want to reach me? E-mail me at nickhil@nickhil.com
