Cogito Ergo Sum...
I think, therefore I am.
On these words, René Descartes built a system of thought that shook the monolith of Aristotelian-Thomistic philosophy to its core. The source of outrage in their day, Descartes' writings are, to the contemporary reader, testimony to the vast potential of the human mind and spirit both in the solutions they offer and the countless questions they pose.
In The Essential Descartes, the passion, precision, and deep humanity of this avant-garde 17th-century thinker are presented in a selection from his most profound writings, including his Discourse on Method, Meditations on First Philosophy, and Rules for the Direction of the Mind.
About the Author
René Descartes, also known as Renatus Cartesius (Latinized form), was a highly influential French philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and writer. He has been dubbed the "Father of Modern Philosophy," and much of subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which continue to be studied closely. His influence in mathematics is also apparent, the Cartesian coordinate system that is used in plane geometry and algebra being named for him, and he was one of the key figures in the Scientific Revolution.
