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The theories of Rene Descartes: analysis and discussion

Introduction

Rene Descartes was a French Philosopher, writer and mathematician who spent most of his career residing in the Dutch Republic. He is known and widely popular for his controversial theories and views on humanity and divinity. He had rather peculiar theories about the existence of God, humankind and the connection of a person's mind and his body. Philosophers around the world have named him the 'Father of Modern Philosophy' because of his contributions to the subject and his diversification from the general school of thought. His Meditations on First Philosophy continue as a regular text at most university philosophy departments. Apart from philosophy, he also contributed towards mathematics and algebra. He devised different methods to use algebra for analytical purposes. He devised methods in which algebraic equations could be represented as geometric shapes in two dimensional systems. Due to such contributions, he is also credited as the father of modern mathematics. Rene Descartes also served as a prime figure in the Scientific Revolution that brought significant changes in the shape of the modern world (Carriero, 2008, 171-75).

Descartes often sets his views apart from those of his predecessors. His work was usually appreciated and advocated by other philosophers such as Spinoza and Leibniz and at the same time, despised and opposed by known philosophers such as Hobbes, Locke and Hume. Descartes is very famous for his phrase “I think, therefore I am' which was actually written in French as “Cogito ergo sum” (Je pense, donc je suis: French).

I think, therefore I am

Rene has been criticized for his views on God and the concept of divine power. He did not oppose the existence of God neither did he support Atheist views but at a time when people devoted much of their time and love to the higher power, he argued that humans have a mind of their own and their own free will which can be used to counter the course of 'fate' and 'destiny'. In a time when people believed that God has set a path for each and every person on this planet and it is the job of the person to live out life as planned by God, Rene argued that God has created man and placed him on Earth to live his life and shape his own destiny. He argued that the human mind is a distinct identity that can do wonders on its own and has the power and ability to shape its own destiny. Stephen Gaukroger, in his biography of Rene Descartes, writes that "Descartes had a deep religious faith as a Catholic, which he retained to his dying day, along with a firm, passionate desire to learn the truth."

Rene believed that a person's current state is because of his thought and how he uses his mind. He believed that God created the universe with a snap of His fingers (which points the fact that he was not against the concept of an Almighty ...