René+Descartes

** By Bethany Feik ** René Descartes was a French mathematician, philosopher and writer. Born on March the 31, 1596 in La Haye, France. He died on the 11 February, 1650, when he was 53, in Stockholm, Sweden. One of his books, Meditations on First Philosophy, is still used today in most university’s philosophy departments. One of his most famous quotes is, “I think, therefore I am.” René Descartes uses this to reassure himself that he does, in fact, exist. Theorising that the fact of doubting his existence in the first place means that he has to be alive. René Descartes is also famous for creating the Cartesian Plane, which revolutionised the connection between Euclidean geometry and algebra. It is based upon x, y coordinates, x representing the length and y representing the height. There are four quadrants, the top right quadrant quadrant I, the top left quadrant II, bottom left quadrant III and bottom right quadrant IV. The Cartesian Plane helps us make maps, using the grid to draw landmarks more accurately than before. The Cartesian Plane also helps people tell other people where things are on maps. Using the x, y coordinates to tell them specifically tell people where things are. René Descartes’ father was known as Joachim Descartes and his mother Jeanne Brochard. He had a daughter called Francine Descartes, who died of scarlet fever at the age of five.
 * René Descartes **