Descartes

On March 31, 1596 Descartes was born in Touraine, France, which is now called La Haye-Descartes. Descartes's mother died just a year after he was born and his father was not around his family often being busy as a lawyer and magistrate. When Descartes was around ten years old he was sent to the Jesuit college of La Fleche. In 1615, He entered the University of Poitiers, where a year later he received his Baccalaureate and License in Canon & Civil Law. At the age of twenty-two, Descartes enlisted in the army of Prince Maurice of Nassau. While in his one year in the army he was drawn to what would now be called the Corps of Engineers. Here he would have engaged in applied mathematics, designing structures and machines to protect and help soldiers in battle. Many believe that this doubled as an academy for young noblemen. While in the army he became acquainted with Isaac Beeckman, principal of Dordrecht school. This is when Descartes found it necessary to create a method linking mathematics and physics.

In November 1619, Descartes experienced a series of three powerful dreams that he claimed profoundly influenced his life. He decided from these visions the pursuit of science would prove to be the pursuit of true wisdom and a central part of his life's work. Descartes also saw very clearly that all truths were linked with one another. In 1622, Descartes returned to France. He sent the next few years traveling throughout Europe to obtain a wider view of anything and everything. Descartes found Paris and France to be too distracting so he moved to Holland in 1628. He went back to school at University of Franeker and at Leiden University to study mathematics with Jacob Golius and astronomy with Martin Hortensius. Descartes fathered a daughter, Francine, in Amsterdam with a servant woman in 1635. During this time Descartes was teaching at the Utrecht University. In 1640 Francine Descartes died from Scarlet Fever in Amersfoort.

Later in Descartes's life, Queen Christina of Sweden invited him to instruct her in philosophy. At first Descartes was reluctant but he finally accepted her invitation. In September of 1649, Descartes left for Stockholm,