Rene Descartes Quotes

A collection of quotes by Rene Descartes.

RenÃ© Descartes (1596-1650) was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who is widely regarded as the father of modern philosophy. Born in La Haye en Touraine, Descartes began his education at the Jesuit College of La FlÃ¨che. He later studied law at the University of Poitiers but soon developed a keen interest in mathematics and philosophy, which prompted him to embark on a life of intellectual pursuit.

One of Descartes' most famous works is "Meditations on First Philosophy" (1641), in which he introduced the concept of radical doubt. He argued that knowledge gained through the senses and traditional philosophy was uncertain and unreliable, promoting the idea of finding certain knowledge through the use of reason and logical deduction. His most famous quote, "I think, therefore I am" ("Cogito, ergo sum"), summarized this perspective.

Descartes also made significant contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly in the development of analytic geometry. His work "Discourse on the Method" (1637) introduced the Cartesian coordinate system, which revolutionized the study of geometry by establishing the relationship between algebra and geometry.

Throughout his life, Descartes had a profound impact on various areas of knowledge, including physics, physiology, and psychology. His philosophical ideas stimulated debates and influenced subsequent thinkers across Europe and beyond. Rene Descartes' legacy continues to shape our understanding of the mind-body relationship and the nature of existence.

I think; therefore I am.

I think; therefore I am.

I am accustomed to sleep and in my dreams to imagine the sam

I am accustomed to sleep and in my dreams to imagine the same things that lunatics imagine when awake.

It is not enough to have a good mind the main thing is to us

It is not enough to have a good mind the main thing is to use it well.

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with th

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.

So blind is the curiosity by which mortals are possessed, th

So blind is the curiosity by which mortals are possessed, that they often conduct their minds along unexplored routes, having no reason to hope for success, but merely being willing to risk the experiment of finding whether the truth they seek lies there.

Success Truth Mind

The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well

The greatest minds are capable of the greatest vices as well as of the greatest virtues.

Virtues Well Minds

When I consider this carefully, I find not a single property

When I consider this carefully, I find not a single property which with certainty separates the waking state from the dream. How can you be certain that your whole life is not a dream?

Life Dreams

If I found any new truths in the sciences, I can say that th

If I found any new truths in the sciences, I can say that they follow from, or depend on, five or six principal problems which I succeeded in solving and which I regard as so many battles where the fortunes of war were on my side.

Truth Science

When it is not in our power to follow what is true, we ought

When it is not in our power to follow what is true, we ought to follow what is most probable.

Power

I am indeed amazed when I consider how weak my mind is and h

I am indeed amazed when I consider how weak my mind is and how prone to error.

Amazing

Perfect numbers like perfect men are very rare.

Perfect numbers like perfect men are very rare.

Men

The two operations of our understanding, intuition and deduc

The two operations of our understanding, intuition and deduction, on which alone we have said we must rely in the acquisition of knowledge.

Alone

The senses deceive from time to time, and it is prudent neve

The senses deceive from time to time, and it is prudent never to trust wholly those who have deceived us even once.

Time

There is nothing so strange and so unbelievable that it has

There is nothing so strange and so unbelievable that it has not been said by one philosopher or another.

Philosophy

To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do

To know what people really think, pay regard to what they do, rather than what they say.

Manners

Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one

Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.

Common Sense

Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and

Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it.

Simplicity

Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so h

Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it.

Insults

The reading of all good books is indeed like a conversation

The reading of all good books is indeed like a conversation with the noblest men of past centuries who were the authors of them, nay a carefully studied conversation, in which they reveal to us none but the best of their thoughts.

Reading

When writing about transcendental issues, be transcendentall

When writing about transcendental issues, be transcendentally clear.

Authors & Writing