René Descartes was the French philosopher and father of the skeptic tradition that broke away from earlier philosophy based on Aristotelian thought. His work is focused primarily on ontology and epistemology and was both admired and criticized in his day.
Translator Jonathan Bennett is a fellow of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the British Academy.
René Descartes
Descartes Most Famous Philosophical Classic
4.1 (254 ratings)
Meditations on First Philosophy (1641) is one of Descartes’s most influential works, known as the source of the classic quote: “I think, therefore I am” or “cogito ergo sum.” These blinks capture Descartes’ thoughts on how we know what we know, and his attempts to prove God’s existence along the way.
René Descartes
A Radical Guide to Clear Thinking, Doubt, and Self-Discovery
4.4 (140 ratings)
Discourse on the Method (1637) presents a new approach to acquiring knowledge based on reason, skepticism, and systematic doubt. It outlines a method for thinking clearly and logically, leading to the famous conclusion “I think, therefore I am.” It also explores the relationship between mind and body, the existence of God, and the foundations of science.