Descartes (Collector's Library Essential Thinkers)

Descartes laid the foundations of modern science by providing a secure basis for empirical knowledge. In the most famous philosophical dictum of all time, "I think therefore, I am" he uses the method of doubt to establish the certainty of his own existence. This certainty allows him to overthrow reliance on revealed truth and install scientific method in its place. These selections show his incredible skill not only as a thinker, but also as a writer. The opening sentence of the "Discource on Method" is to philosophy what the opening sentence of "Pride and Prejudice " is to the novel.