Descartes was the first mathematician to use the notation where the letters at the beginning of the alphabet represent data and the letters at the end of the alphabet to represent variables or unknowns. Descartes’ understanding of algebra was deep. He stated that the number of distinct roots of an equation is equal to the degree of the equation. Descartes was willing to consider negative (he called them false roots) and imaginary roots. He developed a rule for determining the number of positive
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On June 19th‚ 1623 in Clermont‚ France Blaise Pascal was born. Out of four children he next to last to be born‚ and was the only boy . When Blaise was just a couple of years old he mother died‚ and got really close to his sisters. His father was a judge in his home town‚ though he moved to Paris to pursue his personal scientific studies‚ and to teach his son‚ who was a child prodigy in 1631. Etienne‚ his father wanted Blaise to be able to seek out his own curiosity‚ though some people think that
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The Pascaline Blaise Pascal was born June 19th‚ 1623 in Clermont. He was the third to be born and the only son. He was kept at home as a child because they wanted to make sure that he was not overworked. His father homeschooled him‚ but he was not allowed to study mathematics before the age of 15. And because of this there were no mathematical things in the house at all. Soon Blaise gave up his play time at the age of twelve to study geometry.
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Michael Nguyen Paper 2 3/29/2012 Professor Nathan Smith Rationalism vs Empiricism Rationalism believes that some ideas or concept are independent of experience and that some truth is known by reason alone. Rationalist support the idea of priori knowledge which means knowledge that comes before experience and independent of experience Philosophers that support that are associated with rationalism are Descartes‚ Kant‚ and Leibniz. Empiricism believes that some ideas or concepts are independent
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Plato/Descartes Reading Response In both Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Descartes’ The Fourth Meditation‚ they discuss truth; what it is‚ where it comes from and how to differentiate it from falsehood and error. Plato’s paper is more metaphorical and uses imagery to paint a picture of his idea of truth‚ while Descartes’ is more straight forward‚ and uses examples. These papers are written very differently but are‚ at the same time‚ very similar when it comes to content. Although it’s not word
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similarity between the movie The Matrix‚ the cave analogy of Plato‚ and Descartes’ Meditation‚ is that all of these works doubt the reality of the world around us and call into question the validity of our sense perceptions. “Let us suppose‚” says Descartes‚ “that we are dreaming‚ and that all these particulars – namely‚ the opening of the eyes‚ the motion of the head‚ the forth-putting of the hands – are merely illusions” (Descartes‚ 1641‚ Meditations on First Philosophy). Likewise Plato proposed an
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Descartes is totally right to be suspicious about ’the given’ before accepting it as the establishment of learning‚ however‚ in the meantime‚ it is not the bravest thought to be distrustful about everything. Throughout first Meditation‚ Descartes disposes of all his past obtained opinion‚ which from his sense is highly dubious. (Descartes‚ Meditations I‚ pg.1‚para. 1) Accordingly‚ he chooses to rebuild his insight from a specific ground and totally believe in things that are indubitable. (Descartes
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Latin "Cogito‚ ergo sum" [I think‚ therefore I am] The first piece of Descartes Meditation‚ Descartes attempts to review the beliefs he has been taught in order to establish truth in science. He forms a sceptical belief or hypotheses about everything in the physical world. As a result he suspends his judgement on his previously held beliefs. In the second Meditation‚ Descartes expands theory on the nature of human mind’‚ Descartes questions his identity‚ the eternal I’‚ and introduces a theory of
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Epistemology ------------------------------------------------- Carefully explain Descartes’ cogito and his attempt to build his knowledge structure from the ground up. (Be as succinct as possible.) Does Descartes succeed or fail in that attempt? Justify your answer in full. Descartes’ Epistemology This essay attempts to explain Descartes’ epistemology of his knowledge‚ his “Cogito‚ Ergo Sum” concept (found in the Meditations)‚ and why he used it [the cogito concept] as a foundation when building
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In this paper‚ I will dissect Descartes current and former beliefs about his-self and the world. I will then argue his belief that he is merely “a thing that thinks” and why that is a flawed belief. Descartes once thought of himself as a man. He was a body that could taste‚ smell‚ see‚ move‚ and most of all; perceive. To achieve his goal of obtaining true knowledge‚ however‚ Descartes decided to rid his mind of all doubt and trust only reason. Descartes purports that most of his knowledge was
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