Rene Descartes

Advantages: The birth of modern philosophy, raises many important questions
Disadvantages: Doesn't really succeed in justifying anything he sets out to do

...Rene Descartes (1596-1650) was a French intellectual whose works have had a significant impact upon subsequent epistemology (the philosophy of knowledge). In fact, his influences are wide-reaching; it was Descartes who came up with 'I think, therefore I am' and I even saw Kyle reading Descartes in an episode of South Park once (the one with the tooth fairy mafia, if you're interested). Many common beliefs, however, are based on a misunderstanding of Descartes' works. This review focuses on Descartes' 'Meditations on First Philosophy', perhaps his best known work, and one that concisely sets out his ideas. His philosophy (termed 'Cartesian' philosophy) and reasoning is more fully set out in other works, such as 'Principles of Philosophy', 'Discourse on the Method' and 'Rules for the Direction of the Mind'. The Meditations were... Read review

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Advantages: A noble quest
Disadvantages: Flawed arguments

...Rene Descartes was a famous French philosopher who philosophised in the early 17th century. He is best known for this work, his Meditations on First Philosophy. He was also a successful mathmatician, and created the concepts of mnd and consciousness that are now fundamental to Psychology. This work was his main attempt to lead Philosophy in a new direction, to bring it out of the Scholastic period during which he had been educated. The book is wrtten as though you are reading a chronological record of Descartes' thoughts. Beginning in meditation one with his reasons for doubt and ending in meditation six with his certainties, with many intermediate arguments. The first meditation begins with his reasons for doubt. It must be understood that Descartes was not actually a skeptic but rather uses doubt as a tool, methodological... Read review

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Advantages: Seminal work in philosophy
Disadvantages: Has consequently been analyzed to bits for the last few centuries

...Rene Descartes wrote a good many philsophical works, of which the most famous or at least most frequently studied are the Discourse on Method, and the Meditations. Of these two the Meditations are probably the best known. In the Meditations Descartes is searching for a system of beliefs which cannot be doubted, and goes through the process of discussing why we might need to reject sensory information, for example, if we are being entirely skeptical, because our senses can deceive us. He does this in his first meditation. He progresses then to question what in fact we can take into a system of beliefs and comes up with the famous 'Cogito' or the result Cogito Ergo Sum, I think therefore I am. He rationalises that one can be deceived perhaps by a supreme being or deity but to think about this cannot be a deception - to be able... Read review

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