The World's Greatest Books — Volume 13 — Religion and Philosophy

Philosophy; Religion

René Descartes was born March 31, 1596, at La Haye, in the
     ancient province of Touraine, France, of a noble family of
     Touraine; and was educated at the College of La Flêche by the
     Jesuits. The decisive crisis of his life arrived in 1619,
     while he was serving as a volunteer with Prince Maurice of
     Nassau, and the next nine years may be regarded as the period
     of his formation. The most fruitful years of his life were
     spent in Holland, whence he made occasional excursions into
     France, and perhaps paid a visit to England. In 1633 he
     finished his treatise on "The World; or on Light," an epitome
     of his "Physics," which, however, he deemed it wise, in view
     of Galileo's fate, to withhold from publication during his
     lifetime. Besides the "Discourse on Method" (1637), with the
     treatises on dioptrics, meteors, and geometry, his principal
     works were his "Meditations" addressed to the Deans of the
     Faculty of Theology in the University of Paris; the "Principia
     Philosophiae," and the "Traité des Passions de L'Ame," in
     which, he handled morals. Descartes died at Stockholm, whither
     he had been summoned by Queen Christina, on February 11, 1649.
     His work stands a landmark in the modern history of
     philosophic thought.


_I.--THE AIM OF THIS DISCOURSE_


Good sense or reason must be better distributed than anything else in
the world, for no man desires more of it than he already has. This shows
that reason is by nature equal in all men. If there is diversity of
opinion, this arises from the fact that we conduct our thought by
different ways, and consider not the same things. It does not suffice
that the understanding be good--it must be well applied.

My mind is no better than another's, but I have been lucky enough to
chance on certain ways, which have led me to a certain method by means
of which it seems to me that I may by degrees augment my knowledge to
the modest measure of my intellect and my length of days. I shall be
very glad to make plain in this discourse the paths I have followed, and
to picture my life so that all may judge of it, and by the setting forth
of their opinions may furnish me with yet other means of improvement.

It is my design not to teach the method which each man ought to follow
for the right guidance of his reason, but only to show in what manner I
have tried to conduct my own.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Religion

The World's Greatest Books — Volume 13 — Religion and Philosophy

Philosophy; Religion

René Descartes was born March 31, 1596, at La Haye, in the
     ancient province of Touraine, France, of a noble family of
     Touraine; and was educated at the College of La Flêche by the
     Jesuits. The decisive crisis of his life arrived in 1619,
     while he was serving as a volunteer with Prince Maurice of
     Nassau, and the next nine years may be regarded as the period
     of his formation. The most fruitful years of his life were
     spent in Holland, whence he made occasional excursions into
     France, and perhaps paid a visit to England. In 1633 he
     finished his treatise on "The World; or on Light," an epitome
     of his "Physics," which, however, he deemed it wise, in view
     of Galileo's fate, to withhold from publication during his
     lifetime. Besides the "Discourse on Method" (1637), with the
     treatises on dioptrics, meteors, and geometry, his principal
     works were his "Meditations" addressed to the Deans of the
     Faculty of Theology in the University of Paris; the "Principia
     Philosophiae," and the "Traité des Passions de L'Ame," in
     which, he handled morals. Descartes died at Stockholm, whither
     he had been summoned by Queen Christina, on February 11, 1649.
     His work stands a landmark in the modern history of
     philosophic thought.


_I.--THE AIM OF THIS DISCOURSE_


Good sense or reason must be better distributed than anything else in
the world, for no man desires more of it than he already has. This shows
that reason is by nature equal in all men. If there is diversity of
opinion, this arises from the fact that we conduct our thought by
different ways, and consider not the same things. It does not suffice
that the understanding be good--it must be well applied.

My mind is no better than another's, but I have been lucky enough to
chance on certain ways, which have led me to a certain method by means
of which it seems to me that I may by degrees augment my knowledge to
the modest measure of my intellect and my length of days. I shall be
very glad to make plain in this discourse the paths I have followed, and
to picture my life so that all may judge of it, and by the setting forth
of their opinions may furnish me with yet other means of improvement.

It is my design not to teach the method which each man ought to follow
for the right guidance of his reason, but only to show in what manner I
have tried to conduct my own.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The World's Greatest Books — Volume 13 — Religion and Philosophy

The World's Greatest Books — Volume 13 — Religion and Philosophy

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