René Descartes

René Descartes was born in Indre-et-Loire, France in 1596. He studied at Jesuit Collège Royal Henry-Le-Grand at La Flèche and also at the University of Poiters, earning a license to practice law. However, while serving in the army, Descartes became interested in mathematics and philosophy. With his mathematical and philosophical teachings, Descartes would become one of the leaders of the Scientific Revolution. In 1641, Descartes published Meditations on First Philosophy, which remains an important philosophy text to this day. He is also considered the father of analytical geometry. Descartes is best known for his philosophical statement “I think, therefore I am.