Rene Descartes

Portrait of René Descartes (1596-1650).

Artist: after Frans Hals (1582/1583–1666). Dimensions: H 77.5 cm (30.5 in); W 68.5 cm (26.9 in). Location: Musée du Louvre, Paris, Richelieu, 2nd floor, room 27 (inv. no. 1317). Photo: Wikimedia (public domain)

PRESCRIBED READINGS

The Philosophical Writings of Descartes, tr. and ed. J. Cottingham et al (3 vols. 1984-91, and reprints):

1. Discourse on Method: vol. I, pp. 111-51;
2. Optics: vol. I, pp. 152-6, 164-6;
3. Principles of Philosophy: vol. I, pp. 179-92, 223-35, 240-1, 279-91;
4. Letters: vol. III, pp. 10-13, 37-9, 40-4, 85-8, 88-90, 123-5, 131-3, 143-4, 210-12, 226-9, 302-4, 327-8, 357-8 (item 4), 360-7: Letters.