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Descartes: Mathematical Philosopher of Rationalism

Explore the life and works of Rene Descartes, the Father of Modern Philosophy. Discover his mathematical method for philosophizing, his rationalist beliefs, and his groundbreaking ideas on dualism and skepticism.

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Descartes: Mathematical Philosopher of Rationalism

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  1. Rene Descartes Life Works

  2. 1596-1650 He was born in March 21, 1596 at La Haye in France of a noble family and was educated in the celebrated Jesuit College of La Fleche, where he received a philosophical and scientific education according to the principles of the Scholasticism of his day. He lived in a number of different European countries at various periods of time. In 1649, he went to the court of Queen Christina of Sweden, being summoned there by the Queen, who wished to study philosophy under his direction. Unable to resist the rigors of winter, he died in Sweden in February 11,1650 caused by pneumonia.

  3. Mathematical Philosopher Used mathematical method for philosophizing Father of the Modern Philosophy He provided the seed for a new philosophy that broke away from the old in important ways. A Rationalist Like Socrates and Plato, he believed that a certain knowledge is only attainable through reason A Skeptic “To reach certainty about nature of life, one should doubt everything.”

  4. An Existence “When I doubt, I have to be thinking, and because I am thinking it have to be certain that I am a thinking being; one cannot doubt without thinking; and if I THINK, I EXIST.” Believer of Perfect Entity “ In my mind, I have a clear and distinct idea of a Perfect Entity.” A Dualist “Thought is quite independent of matter and conversely, the material process are quite independent of thought.”

  5. He applied the Mathematical method on Science of Philosophy.

  6. Mathematical beliefs are not based on sensation but on reason.

  7. According to Descartes a new method must be the basis of all scientific and philosophical research.

  8. Descartes Rules of Logic Never to accept anything as true which did not clearly and distinctly know to be such (a method of doubt) Divide each of the difficulties into as many parts as possible (analysis) Conduct the thoughts from the simplest and easiest to the more complex (synthesis) Make complete enumerations that nothing was omitted

  9. “Certain knowledge is only attainable through reason.” -Socrates

  10. “Only reason can give us certain knowledge.” - Plato

  11. “ Like Socrates, Plato and St. Augustine, Descartes is also a typical rationalist”

  12. “A man should accept that he knew nothing.”- Socrates

  13. “If you would be a real seeker after the truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.”

  14. “We must doubt question, and reject all we hold as true, even our own existence.”

  15. “ We can never thrust what the old books tells us, we cannot even thrust what our senses tells us.”

  16. “ One thing had to be true, and that was he doubted.”

  17. The intellectual institutions argue that the truth could be found in the bible.

  18. Scholastic philosophy and science was incapable of discovering any new or useful knowledge.

  19. “Sometimes senses deceive, they cannot be a reliable source for knowledge “

  20. “ Cogito, Ergo Sum! I Think, Therefore I Exist!”

  21. “One cannot doubt without thinking; and if I think, I exist!”

  22. Then Descartes asked himself if there was anything more he could perceive. He then became to the conclusion on the idea of Perfect Entity.

  23. “The idea of perfect entity cannot have originated from one who was himself imperfect. Therefore; That idea must have originated from God who is perfect entity.”

  24. “The notion of God must come from God.”

  25. Proofs on the existence of God: Logically, God would contain all the characteristics of perfection: omniscient, omnipotent, all-loving, etc.Existence would be one of the qualities of perfection.Therefore, God must have that quality; He must exist

  26. “The Idea of God is innate.”

  27. “substance is a thing requiring nothing in order to exist.”

  28. “Something cannot came from nothing.”

  29. “Res Cogitas” (God and the human Soul)Reality of thoughts or Mind

  30. “Res Extensa”( the corporeal world)Extended reality or Matter

  31. “There is a constant interaction between the mind and body.”

  32. Pineal Gland

  33. How does it works? • Interaction of spirit and matter • Mind can constantly affected by feelings and passions that are related to bodily needs • mind can react independently from bodily processes

  34. God’s guarantee • “Whatever we perceive with our reason, also correspond to reality.”

  35. “ Only God exist independently of anything else and no contact from any other.”

  36. DescartesThe Unanswered Epistemological Questions

  37. The determination of the relationship between God and the World

  38. The relationship between the Soul and the Body.

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