Descartes Introduction: Meditations

This is an introduction to Rene Descartes' Meditations. Descartes - born in 1596 - is often considered the father of modern philosophy. He was a radical innovator, completely sweeping away the old and inaugurating a new method – simple, pure, clear, individual thought. He claimed he read very little, and most of his work was in the sciences. When a man asked to see his library he pointed to a half dissected calf. He was primarily a mathematician. He invented the Cartesian coordinates, but today he's mostly remembered for his philosophy.

There are two key philosophical works – the Discourse on Method and the Meditations – the latter is a more complete statement of his philosophy.

It’s short, it’s reasonably simple, its’ groundbreaking, it’s entertaining.

Descartes wants to doubt everything he knows so as to put thought and philosophy on a firm footing; he wants to discover what is certain, indubitable. He is, then focusing exclusively on reason, he’s a rationalist.

So, how do we go about discovering what we know to be certain?

Cogito Ergo Sum. I think, therefore I am.

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