Decartes: The Life of Rene Decartes and Its Place in His TimesScientist, mathematician, traveller, soldier -- and spy -- René Descartes has been called the 'father of modern philosophy'. Born in 1596 into an era still dominated by the medieval mindset, he was one of the chief actors in the riveting drama that ushered in the modern world. His life coincided with an extraordinarily significant time in history -- the first half of the miraculous seventeenth century, replete with genius in the arts and sciences, and wracked by civil and international conflicts across Europe. Before his death in 1650 Descartes made immense contributions to an exceptionally wide range of fields and disciplines, and his assertion 'Cogito, ergo sum' ('I think, therefore I am') has become one of the most famous maxims in all philosophy. He was the very archetype of a 'Renaissance man', and yet surprisingly little is known about him. Drawing on new research and his own insights as one of our leading philosophers, A. C. Grayling presents a stunningly accessible and fascinating portrait of the man and the remarkable era in which he lived. |
Contents
Who was Descartes? | 1 |
The Awakening | 13 |
A Night of Dreams | 49 |
The Mystery of the Rosy Cross | 81 |
Nine Years of Travel | 105 |
Animals on the Moon | 141 |
Francine | 175 |
The Shape of Snow | 183 |
Descartes Contra Voetius | 207 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
A. C. Grayling argument Aristotelian Arminian army atheism Baillet Beeckman believe Berulle biography Bohemia brain Breda Cardinal Cartesian Catholic Chanut Christian of Anhalt Christina Church claim Clerselier Constantijn Huygens Copernican Descartes wrote Discourse Discourse on Method doubt dreams Dutch earth Elector Elizabeth of Bohemia enquiry Europe everything existence fact Ferdinand Flèche France Frederick French Galileo Gaukroger geometry given Gomarists Habsburg Henri Huguenots Huygens Ibid ideas intellectual interest Jesuit King knowledge La Flèche later Leiden letter live mathematics matter Meditations Mersenne metaphysics method mind nature Netherlands orthodoxy Palatinate Paris Parlement philosophy Princess Elizabeth Principles problem Protestant published Queen question reason religious René Descartes Reneri Richelieu Rodis-Lewis Rosicrucian says sceptical scientific seventeenth century soul Spanish suggests Sweden theology theory things Thirty Years War thought took truth United Provinces University Utrecht Val Telline Voetius White Mountain writing written