René Descartes Biography

René Descartes biography

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Quick Facts

NAME: René Descartes
OCCUPATION: Philosopher
BIRTH DATE: March 31, 1596
DEATH DATE: February 11, 1650
PLACE OF BIRTH: La Haye, Touraine, France

PLACE OF DEATH: Stockholm, Sweden

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René Descartes was a French philosopher who made the important connection between geometry and algebra and is considered the first modern philosopher.

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René Descartes

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Profile

French mathematician René Descartes, heralded as the first modern philosopher, believed that science and mathematics could be used to explain everything in nature and was the first to describe the physical universe in terms of matter and motion. His most famous dictum is "I think, therefore I am." He died in Sweden from pneumonia in 1650 during his tenure as Queen Christina's tutor.