René Descartes (1596-1650) was a French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist.  He is often referred to as the "father of modern philosophy".  He was born on March 31, 1596, in La Haye en Touraine, France. Descartes was educated at the Jesuit college of La Flèche and later studied law at the University of Poitiers.  Descartes is best known for his statement "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"), which he articulated in his work "Discourse on the Method" (1637). This phrase encapsulates his approach to philosophy, which emphasized doubt and questioning as a means to achieve certainty. He developed Cartesian dualism, the idea that the mind and body are distinct substances that interact with each other.  In addition to his philosophical contributions, Descartes made significant advances in mathematics, particularly in the development of the Cartesian coordinate system, which bridged algebra and geometry. His works in science and mathematics include "La Géométrie", "Meditations on First Philosophy", and "Principles of Philosophy".  Descartes spent much of his later life in the Netherlands, where he continued his work until he was invited to Sweden by Queen Christina. He died in Stockholm on February 11, 1650, likely due to pneumonia.

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