BSMT 3-2
Rene Descartes
Rene Descartes, also known as the “father of modern philosophy”. Descartes was born in the town of La Haye in the south of France, on March 31, 1596. Rene Descartes spent most of his life in the Dutch Republic. Joachim Descartes his father served in the Parliament of Brittany, France as a Councilor. When he is one year old, his mother Jeanne Brochard Descartes died. His father remarried, while he and his older brother and sister were raised by his grandmother. Descartes was never been married but had a daughter named Francine from his relationship with Helana Jans van der Strom. Francine, daughter of Descartes died in 1640 because of Scarlet Fever. Rene Descartes was a famous French mathematician, philosopher, scientist and a writer. Rene Descartes is credited as the father of analytical geometry. When Descartes was 10 years old he enrolled at Jesuit College of La Fleche in 1606-1614. In 1614, he went to Poitiers and took a law degree two years later. When he was 18 years old he already completed the Le Fleche college and spent years refining noble skills-fencing, dancing and horsemanship. In Netherlands he spend more than one year to study military architecture and mathematics. After graduation in 1616 of December, he studied at University of Poitiers. Descartes has been described as an example of genius. Descartes was travelling extensively over Europe and as he said, studied “the book of the world”. In 1620 to 1628 Descartes traveled through Europe, moving from Bohemia, to Hungary, Germany, Holland and France. He was in Paris when he met Mersenne, connection that would keep him in contact with his contemporaries in science. After he stayed in Paris, he spent his time in Venice, and returned to France in 1625. He met Cardinal de Berulle in 1628, the founder of Oratorians. Cardinalde Berulle was impressed while he have a conversation with Rene Descartes and encouraged him to devote his life to the study