Philosophy · Medieval & Early Modern Philosophy
A topic within Medieval & Early Modern Philosophy, itself one of 12 topics in that field and part of Philosophy.
No prior grounding assumed.
Discourse on the Method
René Descartes · 1637
Descartes narrates his own search for a method of reasoning modelled on mathematics, arriving at 'I think, therefore I am' as the one certainty from…
Assumes you know the vocabulary.
Meditations on First Philosophy
René Descartes · 1641
Doubts everything doubtable to find one certainty, and hands modern philosophy both its starting point and its mind-body problem.
+1 more at this level
Primary sources and full treatments.
Principles of Philosophy
René Descartes · 1644
Descartes' attempt at a complete system, deriving the existence of God, the nature of mind and body, and the laws of a mechanical physics from the…
4 works
René Descartes
Descartes narrates his own search for a method of reasoning modelled on mathematics, arriving at 'I think, therefore I am' as the one certainty from which everything else must be rebuilt.
about 1.5 hours to readlink checked 17 Sept 2026René Descartes
Doubts everything doubtable to find one certainty, and hands modern philosophy both its starting point and its mind-body problem.
Assumes no prior philosophy; six short meditations, written to be read in order and once each
about 2.5 hours to readlink checked 17 Sept 2026René Descartes
Descartes' last book, arguing the passions are perceptions caused by movements of the body's 'animal spirits' acting on the pineal gland, and that virtue lies in redirecting them rather than suppressing them.
link checked 17 Sept 2026René Descartes
Descartes' attempt at a complete system, deriving the existence of God, the nature of mind and body, and the laws of a mechanical physics from the same handful of starting certainties as the Meditations.
link checked 17 Sept 2026