René Descartes

René Descartes (IPA: {{IPA |d?-'kärt}}, March 31, 1596 – February 11, 1650), also known as Cartesius, was a French philosopher, mathematician and part-time mercenary. He is noted equally for his groundbreaking work in philosophy and mathematics. As the inventor of the Cartesian coordinate system, he formulated the basis of modern geometry (analytic geometry), which in turn influenced the development of modern calculus.

Biography

Descartes was born in La Haye en Touraine, Indre-et-Loire, France, a town later renamed for him: "La Haye-Descartes" (1802) and simply "Descartes" (1967.) At the age of eight, he entered the Jesuit College Royal Henry-Le-Grand at La Flèche. After graduation, he studied at the University of Poitiers, earning a Baccalauréat and Licence in law in 1616.

Related Topics:
La Haye en Touraine - Indre-et-Loire - France - 1802 - 1967 - Jesuit - College Royal Henry-Le-Grand - La Flèche - Poitiers - Law - 1616

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Descartes never actually practiced law, however, and in 1618 he entered the service of Prince Maurice of Nassau, leader of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, with the intention of following a military career. Here he met Isaac Beeckman and composed a short treatise on music entitled Compendium Musicae. In 1619, Descartes travelled in Germany, and on November 10 had a vision of a new mathematical and scientific system. In 1622 he returned to France, and during the next few years spent time in Paris and other parts of Europe. Descartes was present at the siege of La Rochelle by Cardinal Richelieu in 1627.

Related Topics:
1618 - Maurice of Nassau - Netherlands - Isaac Beeckman - Compendium Musicae - 1619 - Germany - November 10 - 1622 - Paris - La Rochelle - Richelieu - 1627

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In 1628, Descartes composed Rules for the Direction of the Mind and left for Holland, where he lived, changing his address frequently, until 1649. In 1629 he began work on The World. In 1633, Galileo was condemned, and Descartes abandoned plans to publish The World. In 1635, Descartes' daughter Francine was born. She was baptized on August 7, 1635 and died in 1640. Descartes published Discourse on Method, with Optics, Meteorology and Geometry in 1637. In 1641, Meditations on First Philosophy was published, with the first six sets of Objections and Replies. In 1642, the second edition of Meditations was published with all seven sets of Objections and Replies, followed by Letter to Dinet. In 1643, Cartesian philosophy was condemned at the University of Utrecht, and Descartes began his long correspondence with Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia. Descartes published Principles of Philosophy and visited France in 1644. In 1647, he was awarded a pension by the King of France, published Comments on a Certain Broadsheet, and began work on The Description of the Human Body. Descartes was interviewed by Frans Burman at Egmond-Binnen in 1648, resulting in Conversation with Burman. In 1649, Descartes went to Sweden on invitation of professor Eitan Olevsky; Descartes' Passions of the Soul, which he dedicated to Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia, was published.

Related Topics:
1628 - Rules for the Direction of the Mind - Holland - 1649 - 1629 - The World - 1633 - Galileo - 1635 - Francine - August 7 - 1640 - Discourse on Method - 1637 - 1641 - Meditations on First Philosophy - 1642 - 1643 - University of Utrecht - Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia - Principles of Philosophy - 1644 - 1647 - Pension - King of France - Comments on a Certain Broadsheet - The Description of the Human Body - Frans Burman - Egmond-Binnen - 1648 - Conversation with Burman - Sweden - Professor Eitan Olevsky - Passions of the Soul

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René Descartes died on February 11, 1650 in Stockholm, Sweden, where he had been invited as a teacher for Queen Christina of Sweden. The cause of death was said to be pneumonia - accustomed to working in bed till noon, he may have suffered a detrimental effect on his health due to Christina's demands for early morning study. However, letters to and from the doctor Eike Pies have recently been discovered which indicate that Descartes may have been poisoned using arsenic.

Related Topics:
Stockholm - Christina of Sweden - Pneumonia - Eike Pies - Poison - Arsenic

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In 1667, after his death, the Roman Catholic Church placed his works on the Index of Prohibited Books.

Related Topics:
1667 - Roman Catholic Church - Index of Prohibited Books

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As a Catholic in a Protestant nation, he was interred in a graveyard mainly used for unbaptized infants, in Adolf Fredrikskyrkan in Stockholm, Sweden. Later, his remains were taken to France and buried in the Church of St. Genevieve-du-Mont in Paris. A memorial erected in the 18th century remains in the Swedish church.

Related Topics:
Catholic - Protestant - Adolf Fredrikskyrkan

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During the French Revolution, his remains were disinterred for burial in the Panthéon among the great French thinkers. The village in the Loire Valley where he was born was renamed La Haye - Descartes. Currently his tomb is in the church Saint Germain-des-Pres in Paris.

Related Topics:
French Revolution - Panthéon - Loire Valley

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