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Rene Descartes

Rene Descartes Quotes

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.

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Famous Rene Descartes Quotes

“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

“Good sense is, of all things among men, the most equally distributed; for every one thinks himself so abundantly provided with it, that those even who are the most difficult to satisfy in everything else, do not usually desire a larger measure of this quality than they already possess.”

Thinking Men Desire Difficult Quality All Things Good Sense

Book:Discourse on the Method and the Meditations

Source: Discourse on the Method and the Meditations

“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.”

Men Book Past Reading Century Conversation Literacy Good Book

Book:Discourse on Method and Meditations

Source: Discourse on Method and Meditations

“[About Pierre de Fermat] It cannot be denied that he has had many exceptional ideas, and that he is a highly intelligent man. For my part, however, I have always been taught to take a broad overview of things, in order to be able to deduce from them general rules, which might be applicable elsewhere.”

Men Ideas Might Able Science Order Taught Intelligent Broads Denied Elsewhere Exceptional Intelligent Man Overview Highly Intelligent

Author:Rene Descartes

“Perfect numbers like perfect men are very rare.”

Men Perfect Numbers Computer Mathematics Math Mathematical Mathematician Perfect Man Mathematics By Mathematicians Numbers And Math Mathematical Logic Funny Mathematics Maths Funny Math Is Like

Author:Rene Descartes

“If we possessed a thorough knowledge of all the parts of the seed of any animal (e.g. man), we could from that alone, be reasons entirely mathematical and certain, deduce the whole conformation and figure of each of its members, and, conversely if we knew several peculiarities of this conformation, we would from those deduce the nature of its seed.”

Ifs Men Reason Whole Certain Nature Animal Figures Members Mathematics Math Seeds Mathematical Possessed Thorough Thorough Knowledge

Author:Rene Descartes

“Truths are more likely to be discovered by one man than by a nation”

Men Inspirational Nations One Man

Author:Rene Descartes

“... regard this body as a machine which, having been made by the hand of God, is incomparably better ordered than any machine that can be devised by man, and contains in itself movements more wonderful than those in any machine. ... it is for all practical purposes impossible for a machine to have enough organs to make it act in all the contingencies of life in the way in which our reason makes us act.”

Men Way Made Reason Enough Body Hands Purpose Wonderful Impossible Movement Machines Regard Practicals Organs Hands Of God Contingency

Author:Rene Descartes

“Every man is indeed bound to do what he can to promote the good of others, and a man who is of no use to anyone is strictly worthless.”

Men Life Use Bounds Every Man Worthless

Author:Rene Descartes