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Descartes

Descartes

14 9.7
A French thinker and mathematician from the 1600s who said the mind and body are separate
  • proper noun
  • /deɪˈkɑrt/
translation icon : Descartes
  • And you know, as Descartes says, I think therefore I am.
  • René Descartes
  • Bacon and Descartes
  • Descartes to Locke

You know, Descartes, Renee, Descartes said I think therefore I am.

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Examples

  • In his famous work, Descartes argues that the mind and body are separate entities that interact with each other.

  • Well, I teach Descartes in my intro class, but I specialize in linguistics, the philosophy of language.

  • Try to imagine my mind, says Descartes, without my body.

  • Science since Descartes' time has found that animals are made up of the same sort of stuff.

  • Descartes believed only humans had mind.

  • Perhaps more than any other philosopher, Descartes requires you to use your imagination.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Your countryman, the philosopher Descartes, is coming here.

  • Descartes provided for the subjective nature of experience.

  • In the Treatise on Light, Descartes argues that images never accurately represent reality or truth.

    Academic text (2017)
  • In the Rules for the Direction of the Mind, Descartes calls this quantitative paradigm of the universe Mathesis Universalis.

    Academic text (2017)

Surface Forms

Descartes main

Etymology

Descartes is the family name of the French thinker René Descartes and comes from French parts de or des meaning 'from' and a place name like Cartes. Because he was a famous mathematician and philosopher, his name is used for things like the 'Cartesian' coordinate system, so the name now reminds us of his ideas in math and thought.