Rene Descartes
1596 – 1650 French philosopher, mathematician
The father of modern philosophy, who began from I think, therefore I am.
- Religion
- Catholic. As a young man he sought out the Rosicrucians in Germany but reportedly never found them; there is no evidence he joined any secret order.
- Affiliations
- None documented. No confirmed secret society membership.
Descartes rebuilt philosophy from radical doubt, resting all knowledge on the certainty that he thinks, therefore he exists. He invented analytic geometry, linking algebra and geometry through coordinates. His split of mind from matter set the terms of modern philosophy.
In the timeline
- 1637 Descartes unites algebra and geometry mentioned