Rene Descartes: The Father Of Modern Philosophy

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Born in France on March 31st, 1596, Rene Descartes grew to be known as ‘The Father of Modern Philosophy”. Not only was Rene a philosophical man but he contributed greatly to Mathematics and his ideas have influenced our daily lives in a productive way. DesCartes was raised in a very religious christian family, his father was a member of the parliament and strongly believed in education at a young age. DesCartes studied at the Jesuit college at the mere age of eight. As a child and throughout his adulthood physical incapabilities enabled DesCartes to function as swift or promptly as his peers. Growing up and until the day of his death, Descartes’s health was always a major precaution he was forced to remain aware of. The Jesuit college granted him the immunity of resting in mornings before class. It was this education that led him to contribute philosophical and mathematical theories and devices that still hold a great value to mathematicians and everyday people even today in the 21st century. From a very young age he had interests in mathematics and analytical geometry. Descartes’s contributions to modern day society were affected by his young adulthood, soon he created mathematical and scientific ideas, and lastly philosophical ideas. DesCartes soon enrolled in the Dutch military for a short period of time yet he did not refrain himself from educating himself in even these busy times. He still studied mathematics and science whenever he got the chance to do so. He soon left the Dutch army and enlisted in a catholic army led by Duke Maximilian of Bavaria on behalf of the Holy Roman Emperor. . One of DesCartes’s role models growing up was Dutch philosopher and scientist Isaac Beeckman, he influenced Descartes’s thoughts and belief... ... middle of paper ... ... also argued that there are two forms of reality, formal reality and spiritual reality. ”The idea that mind and matter were indeed too different to interact, and therefore did not do so, but only seemed to from the viewpoint from our finite and inadequate understandings”(Grayling 165). He argued that God was in fact a part of this spiritual reality, this is known as Cartesian Dualism. Although he had these reasonings defending the truth in God, Descartes’s works were place on the index of prohibited books by Pope Leo because he believed Descartes’s ideas were influencing people and going against fundamental Christian teachings. Pope Leo feared that his works advocated the questioning of the church because religion is purely faith and not fact, therefore it would inspire others to think in rationalistic ways especially towards the infallibility of the pope and clergy.

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