1. He did just about everything. Everything that’s important anyway.

2.  Born in France, (A place now named Descartes) 1596-1650  First licensed in law, then joined the United Provinces of Netherlands (mercenary) to travel.  Met Isaac Beeckman whom helped with combining math and physics.  Wrote most of his major works after his military service during 20 years in Holland.  Taught at various universities and wrote math and philosophy until his death. He died in Sweden while teaching Queen Christine. She allegedly made him teach too much and he caught pneumonia.  His works are banned by the Roman Catholic Church, even though he was a Roman Catholic.

3.  Sometimes called “Father of Modern Philosophy” and “Father of Modern Mathematics,” he developed the Cartesian coordinate system which combined algebra and geometry. Eventually the two maths had a baby called Calculus in the 1700s  He was an overall math and science guy and had huge influence in both disciplines. Let’s just say that the scientific revolution wouldn’t have been so revolutionary without him.

4.  “Cogito ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am)  Doubts the deceptive senses and believes reason to be the only true way of knowledge (rationalism)  He also calls for establishing “basic beliefs” which are self- justifying and are used to justify non-basic beliefs (foundationlism)  Noted for proofs of God, skepticism of the outside world, and Dualism (The mind and body are independent)  His work with rationalism and foundationlism and the concepts they entail inspired much of modern philosophy.

5.  Claimed that the mind and body were separate. The mind was rational and could influence the body. The body could influence the mind in non-rational ways like passion. The mind was superior for it contained truth (rationalism). The pineal gland of the brain was called the “seat of the soul” where the mind and body interacted. Modern philosophers have tried to tackle this problem with support and argument against dualism but concrete support for either side is still missing today.

6.  Descartes asserted that any statement was true and false simultaneously. “This statement is a lie” is contradictory since if false, it is not a lie, and hence true, but if true, then it asserts that it is false. This embodies much of Descartes’ Theory of Fallacies which inspired much of the content of modern philosophy.

7.  Seen here is Descartes doing his thing, posing, simply posing.