10 Mag Renato Cartesio
Data di morte: 11 Febbraio 1650
In: Stoccolma, Svezia
Storia:
He was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist.
A native of the Kingdom of France, he spent about 20 years (1629–1649) of his life in the Dutch Republic after serving for a while in the Dutch States Army of Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange and the Stadtholder of the United Provinces.
One of the most notable intellectual figures of the Dutch Golden Age, Descartes is also widely regarded as one of the founders of modern philosophy.
Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy (1641) continues to be a standard text at most university philosophy departments.
Descartes' influence in mathematics is equally apparent; the Cartesian coordinate system (see below) was named after him.
He is credited as the father of analytical geometry, the bridge between algebra and geometry, used in the discovery of infinitesimal calculus and analysis.
Descartes was also one of the key figures in the Scientific Revolution.