René Descartes

01-27-2026

Who is René Descartes?

René Descartes was a French philosopher, scientist, thinker, and polymath. Most know him through his most famous saying: I think, therefore I am, but he accomplished much more than just this. Born in 1596, Descartes lived with his grandparents after his mother passed away during childbirth in 1597. He was raised in the Roman Catholic Church, a part of his life that became very important to him. During his adult years, he experienced the Thirty Years' War, an event that certainly sowed doubt and potentially encouraged his philosophical process.

As he went through school, he realized that everything he had in his mind, all of his foundational beliefs, were just the thoughts of others. This realization, and the idea that there is much more to learn outside of school, became the foundation for his philosophical journey.

Descartes' Philosophy

Descartes is often hailed as one of the biggest influences in the emergence of modern philosophy and science. By breaking everything down into first principles, Descartes constructed a knowledge system that was firm and unbreakable. His core belief was that an idea could only be accepted as true if it could withstand rigorous doubt. This method, known as Cartesian doubt or methodological skepticism, led him to systematically question everything: his senses, his memories, even the existence of the physical world.

Through this process of radical doubt, Descartes arrived at his famous conclusion: Cogito, ergo sum, "I think, therefore I am". Even if a deceiver were manipulating all his perceptions, the very act of doubting proved that a thinking self must exist. This became his unshakable foundation.

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