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Rene Descartes

Rene Descartes Books

Philosopher

Rene Descartes, a French philosopher, mathematician, scientist, and logician, is one of the most important thinkers in the history of Western philosophy. His philosophical ideas have had a profound impact on subsequent generations, particularly for his famous proposition 'Cogito, ergo sum'. Born on March 31, 1596, Descartes died on February 11, 1650.

Discourse on Method and Meditations

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RULES FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE MIND DIS...

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Discourse on the Method: Discourse On t...

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Discourse on Method and Meditations on...

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Discourse on the Method and the Meditat...

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Discourse On Method, Meditations And Pr...

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Discourse on Method

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French and English Philosophers: Descar...

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Meditations

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Meditations on First Philosophy

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Passions of the Soul

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The Geometry of Rene Descartes

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The Principles of Philosophy

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The Rationalists: Descartes: Discourse...

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Related Quotes

“Dubium sapientiae initium. (Doubt is the origin of wisdom.)”

Philosophy Doubt Logic

Book:Meditations on First Philosophy

Source: Meditations on First Philosophy

“And thus, the actions of life often not allowing any delay, it is a truth very certain that, when it is not in our power to determine the most true opinions we ought to follow the most probable.”

Wisdom Truth Logic Rationality

Book:Discourse on Method

Source: Discourse on Method

“Although my knowledge grows more and more, nevertheless I do not for that reason believe that it can ever be actually infinite, since it can never reach a point so high that it will be unable to attain any greater increase.”

Believe Reason Grows Greater Logic Increase Infinite Certainty Uncertainty Reasoning Nevertheless Ontology

Book:Discourse on Method and Meditations

Source: Discourse on Method and Meditations

“Neither the true nor the false roots are always real; sometimes they are imaginary; that is, while we can always imagine as many roots for each equation as I have assigned, yet there is not always a definite quantity corresponding to each root we have imagined.”

Real Sometimes Imagine Roots Logic Certainty Uncertainty Reasoning Quantity Imaginary Definite Equations Corresponding Ontology

Author:Rene Descartes

“We call infinite that thing whose limits we have not perceived, and so by that word we do not signify what we understand about a thing, but rather what we do not understand.”

Limits Logic Infinite Certainty Uncertainty Reasoning Ontology

Author:Rene Descartes

“But in my opinion, all things in nature occur mathematically.”

Opinion All Things

Author:Rene Descartes

“Few look for truth; many prowl about for a reputation of profundity by arrogantly challenging whichever arguments are the best.”

Looks Challenges Argument Reputation Profundity

Author:Rene Descartes

“Intuition is the undoubting conception of a pure and attentive mind, which arises from the light of reason alone, and is more certain than deduction.”

Mind Reason Light Certain Pure Intuition Arise Conception Deductions

Author:Rene Descartes

“Science is practical philosophy.”

Philosophy Science Practicals

Author:Rene Descartes

“Common sense is the best distributed thing in the world, for we all think we possess a good share of it.”

Thinking World Common Share Common Sense

Author:Rene Descartes

“There is a difference between happiness, the supreme good, and the final end or goal toward which our actions ought to tend. For happiness is not the supreme good, but presupposes it, being the contentment or satisfaction of the mind which results from possessing it.”

Mind Ends Action Goal Differences Results Ought Finals Satisfaction Supreme Contentment Our Actions Possessing

Author:Rene Descartes

“I know that I exist; the question is, What is this 'I' that 'I' know.”

Knows Knowledge

Author:Rene Descartes

“I was convinced that our beliefs are based much more on custom and example than on any certain knowledge.”

Certain Belief Atheism Example Convinced Customs Certain Knowledge

Author:Rene Descartes

“My third maxim was to try always to conquer myself rather than fortune, and to change my desires rather than the order of the world, and generally to accustom myself to believing that there is nothing entirely in our power except our thoughts, so that after we have done our best regarding things external to us, everything in which we do not succeed is for us absolutely impossible.”

World Trying Believe Done Desire Order Change Power Impossible Succeed Thirds Fortune Conquer Our Thoughts Maxims

Author:Rene Descartes

“... moral certainty is certainty which is sufficient to regulate our behaviour, or which measures up to the certainty we have on matters relating to the conduct of life which we never normally doubt, though we know that it is possible, absolutely speaking, that they may be false.”

Knows May Matter Moral Doubt Certainty Sufficient Behaviour

Author:Rene Descartes

“Everybody thinks himself so well supplied with common sense that even those most difficult to please. . . never desire more of it than they already have.”

Thinking Wells Desire Difficult Common Please Common Sense

Author:Rene Descartes

“Situations in life often permit no delay; and when we cannot determine the course which is certainly best, we must follow the one which is probably the best. This frame of mind freed me also from the repentance and remorse commonly felt by those vacillating individuals who are always seeking as worthwhile things which they later judge to be bad.”

Mind Courses Individual Felt Situation Judging Investing Determine Seeking Decision Making Repentance Permit Worthwhile Delay Remorse Frame Of Mind Situations In Life Worthwhile Things

Author:Rene Descartes

“...it is certain that I am really distinct from my body, and can exist without it.”

Body Certain Awareness

Book:Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy

Source: Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy

“But possibly I am something more than I suppose myself to be.”

Book:RULES FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE MIND DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE MEDITATIONS AND REPLIES THE GEOMETRY

Source: RULES FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE MIND DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE MEDITATIONS AND REPLIES THE GEOMETRY

“On the one hand I have a clear and distinct idea of myself, in so far as I am a thinking, non-extended thing; and on the other hand I have a distinct idea of body, in so far a this is simply an extended, non-thinking thing. And, accordingly, it is certain that I am really distinct from my body, and exist without it.”

Thinking Ideas Body Hands Certain Clear

Author:Rene Descartes

“The entire method consists in the order and arrangement of the things to which the mind's eye must turn so that we can discover some truth.”

Mind Eye Order Turns Method Arrangements

Author:Rene Descartes

“I accept no principles of physics which are not also accepted in mathematics.”

Accepting Principles Mathematics Accepted Physics

Author:Rene Descartes

“So far, I have been a spectator in this theater which is the world, but I am now about to mount the stage, and I come forward masked.”

World Has Beens Stage Theater Spectators

Author:Rene Descartes

“Archimedes, that he might transport the entire globe ... demanded only a point that was firm and immovable; so also, I shall be entitled to entertain the highest expectations, if I am fortunate enough to discover only one thing that is certain and indubitable.”

Ifs Enough Might Certain One Thing Highest Expectations Firm Fortunate Globes Entitled Transport

Book:Discourse On Method, Meditations And Principles: Descartes : Discourse On Method

Source: Discourse On Method, Meditations And Principles: Descartes : Discourse On Method

“The mind effortlessly and automatically takes in new ideas, which remain in limbo until verified or rejected by conscious, rational analysis.”

Mind Ideas Conscious Rational Analysis New Ideas Rejected Limbo

Author:Rene Descartes

“The only thing that I know, is that I know nothing”

Author:Rene Descartes

“Divide each difficulty at hand into as many pieces as possible and as could be required to better solve them.”

Hands Pieces Difficulty Solve Divides

Author:Rene Descartes

“How do we know that anything really exists, that anything is really the way it seems ot us through our senses?”

Knows Way Seems Senses

Author:Rene Descartes

“Even if I were to suppose that I was dreaming and whatever I saw or imagined was false, yet I could not deny that ideas were truly in my mind.”

Ifs Mind Ideas Dream Saws Deny

Author:Rene Descartes

“There is a great difference between mind and body insomuch as body is by nature always divisible, and the mind is entirely indivisible.”

Mind Body Differences Mind And Body Indivisible

Book:RULES FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE MIND DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE MEDITATIONS AND REPLIES THE GEOMETRY

Source: RULES FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE MIND DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE MEDITATIONS AND REPLIES THE GEOMETRY

“For how do we know that the thoughts which occur in dreaming are false rather than those others which we experience when awake, since the former are often not less vivid and distinct than the latter?”

Knows Dream Former Awake Latter Vivid

Book:Discourse on the Method and the Meditations

Source: Discourse on the Method and the Meditations

“It is contrary to reasoning to say that there is a vacuum or space in which there is absolutely nothing.”

Space Contrary Reasoning Vacuums Absolutely Nothing

Author:Rene Descartes

“A person has two passions for love and abhorrence. A big disposition to excessiveness has just a love, because it is more ardent and stronger.”

Persons Two Bigs Passion Love Is Stronger Disposition Ardent Abhorrence Excessiveness

Author:Rene Descartes

“It is possible that I am dreaming right now and that all of my perceptions are false.”

Dream Right Now Perception

Author:Rene Descartes

“Neither divine grace nor natural knowledge ever diminishes freedom.”

Natural Grace Divine Diminish Divine Grace

Author:Rene Descartes

“Sensations are nothing but confused modes of thinking.”

Thinking Confused Sensations

Author:Rene Descartes

“Reason is nothing without imagination.”

Reason Imagination

Author:Rene Descartes

“I did not imitate the skeptics who doubt only for doubting's sake, and pretend to be always undecided; on the contrary, my whole intention was to arrive at a certainty, and to dig away the drift and the sand until I reached the rock or the clay beneath.”

Whole Doubt Rocks Intention Sake Contrary Certainty Sand Clay Skeptic Undecided

Author:Rene Descartes

“The only thing we have power over in the universe is our own thoughts.”

Author:Rene Descartes

“If I simply refrain from making a judgment in cases where I do not perceive the truth with sufficient clarity and distinctness, then it is clear that I am behaving correctly and avoiding error.”

Ifs Cases Clear Judgment Errors Clarity Perceive Sufficient Avoiding Refrain

Author:Rene Descartes

“If I go for the alternative which is false, then obviously I shall be in error; if I take the other side, then it is by... chance that I arrive at the truth, and I shall still be at fault.... In this incorrect use of free will may be found the privation which constitutes the essence of error.”

Ifs May Stills Use Found Sides Chance Essence Errors Faults Alternatives Free Will

Author:Rene Descartes

“Conquer yourself rather than the world.”

Author:Rene Descartes

“Good sense is the most equitably distributed of all things because no matter how much or little a person has, everyone feels so abundantly provided with good sense that he feels no desire for more than he already possesses.”

Feels Littles Persons Matter Desire All Things Good Sense

Author:Rene Descartes

“Common sense is the most widely shared commodity in the world, for every man is convinced that he is well supplied with it.”

Men World Wells Common Humorous Convinced Every Man Common Sense Ironic Commodity

Author:Rene Descartes

“Because reason...is the only thing that makes us men, and distinguishes us from the beasts, I would prefer to believe that it exists, in its entirety, in each of us.”

Men Believe Reason Beast Entirety

Author:Rene Descartes

“I desire to live in peace and to continue the life I have begun under the motto 'to live well you must live unseen”

Wells Desire Unseen Motto Live Well Desire To Live

Author:Rene Descartes

“I suppose therefore that all things I see are illusions; I believe that nothing has ever existed of everything my lying memory tells me. I think I have no senses. I believe that body, shape, extension, motion, location are functions. What is there then that can be taken as true? Perhaps only this one thing, that nothing at all is certain.”

Thinking Believe Body Science Lying Certain I Believe Memories Taken One Thing Shapes Illusion All Things Function Senses Location Extensions Body Shapes

Author:Rene Descartes

“I experienced in myself a certain capacity for judging which I have doubtless received from God, like all the other things that I possess; and as He could not desire to deceive me, it is clear that He has not given me a faculty that will lead me to err if I use it aright.”

Ifs Use Desire Certain Given Clear Judging Capacity Faculty Deceiving Leading Me

Book:Discourse on Method and Meditations

Source: Discourse on Method and Meditations

“He who hid well, lived well.”

Author:Rene Descartes

“At last I will devote myself sincerely and without reservation to the general demolition of my opinions.”

Lasts Opinion Sincerely Reservations Demolition

Author:Rene Descartes