Author

Books by René Descartes

René Descartes (1596–1650) was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist widely regarded as the father of modern Western philosophy. He invented analytic geometry, made contributions to optics and physics, and developed the mind-body dualism that shaped centuries of subsequent debate. His major philosophical works include the Discourse on the Method (1637), Meditations on First Philosophy (1641), and Principles of Philosophy (1644). He spent much of his adult life in the Netherlands, where the climate of religious tolerance allowed him greater freedom than France. He died in Stockholm after accepting an invitation from Queen Christina of Sweden.