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René Descartes was born in La Haye en Touraine, France to Joachim Descartes and Jeanne Brochard on March 31, 1596. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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Young Descartes began his education at the boarding school Jesuit college at La Fleche on Easter of 1607. He studied an extensive amount of subjects such as the mathematical arts such as music and arithmetic and the verbal skills such as grammar and public speaking. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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Received a degree and a license in civil and canon law at the University of Poitiers. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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In 1618 Descartes went to the Netherlands to become a volunteer for the army of Maurice of Nassau who was leading a Dutch rebellion against Spain. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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After leaving the army of Maurice of Nassau, Rene joined with the army of Bavaria and is stationed in Ulm. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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It was also during his military time that he composed his first work entitled compendium musicae, which focused on the mathematics of music. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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He sought the peaceful solitude of the Netherlands, over the much busier Paris. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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The Discourse on Method, as well as essays Optics, Meterology and the Geometry, focused on concepts that would later contribute to Descartes being known as the 'father of modern philosophy'. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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Tragedy struck when Descartes daughter was taken by scarlet fever at the age of 5. The death affected Descartes greatly, and he changed direction from medical science to searching for universal answers as they applied to the mind and soul. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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Meditations on First Philosophy was published as well as the first six sets of Objections and Replies. This was written to further support the ideas of Discourse on Method in finding truth in the science, as well as questions of God and the human soul. (Haldane) Haldane, Elizabeth. “The Philosophical Works of Descartes.” Cambridge University Press, 1911.
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The Principles of Philosophy was published which focused on the laws of physics and expanded on the Discourse on Method. It focused more on the mechanist belief of the universe. Descartes, Rene. “Principles of Philosophy.” Jonathan Bennett , 2017.
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Descartes publishes Comments on a Certain Broadsheet and begins work on The Description of the Human Body. The writing was a rebuttal to criticism Descartes had received from a prior pupil concerning the concept of mind and soul, Gods existence, and the origin of ideas. (Mattey) The arguments opened up an interesting dialogue to further probe the questions of philosophy. Mattey, C.J. “Lecture Notes ‘Comments on a Certain Broadsheet.’” 4 Dec. 2008.
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He recieved an invitation from Queen Christina who was interested in his unique approach to understanding philosophy. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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Passions of the Soul is published and focused on the many qualities that defined being human, from passion, to desire, and also the concept of the spirit. Descartes, Rene. “The Passions of the Soul.” Jonathan Bennett , 2017.
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Rene Descartes dies in stockholm, Sweden, but his amazing contributions to mathematics, physics, and philosophy live on. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
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Descartes had his daughter, Francine, with a housemaid who worked on his property. “René Descartes (1596—1650).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/descarte/.
