Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

Major works

•          Discourse on Method

•          Meditations on First Philosophy

Importance

•          Important French philosopher

•          Founder of modern philosophy

•          Founded philosophy upon doubt (Cogito ergo sum) and in doing so shifted center of knowledge from God to the subject

•          Famous rationalist—tried to attain philosophical truth by the use of reason; (1) reason important; (2) human autonomy from God; (3) nature is harmonious; (4) believed in progress

•          Attempted to prove existence of God

•          Believed in mind/body dualism