Name: Discours de la méthode
ISBN: 9780460155700

Discours de la méthode

By an almost universal agreement among philosophers and historians, Rene' Descartes is considered the originator of modern philosophy, or at least the first important philosopher of our times. If we add to this the common belief that philosophy points the way for developments in all other fields, it will be evident that to Descartes is ascribed an importance comparable to that of the beginnings of intellectual culture in Greece or of the origin and spread of Christianity in the Mediterranean regions, and surpassing all other events in history. The study of Descartes can start in no more appropriate way than by inquiring into his reputation, and deciding in what sense and to what extent it is justified. Discourse on Method was originally published in 1637.

What Hacker News says

JugurthaNov 2020

Ones I read as a teenager that have a lasting, if not nostalgic, effect:

- Blaise Pascal's "Pensées" (Thoughts)

- René Descartes' "Discours de la méthode" (Discourse on the method)

- Henri Poincaré's "L'avenir des mathématiques" (The future of mathematics)

The way they wielded words pleased me. Their hopes and doubts moved me. Their intellect shattered my brain.

thread

blrskMay 2012

The Startup Owner's Manual - Steve Blank

Discours de la Methode - Descartes

thread

ly3xqhl8g9Aug 2022

"Common sense is the best distributed thing in the world, for we all think we possess a good share of it." — René Descartes, Discours de la Méthode (1637) (Or in French: "Le bon sens est la chose du monde la mieux partagée, car chacun pense en être bien pourvu.") In some philosophies, what stands opposite of wisdom is not folly, but common sense. However, it might be possible that neither common sense, nor wisdom will bring you happiness: the former is unable to provide it, the latter is unable to be attained (philo-sophia, an asymptotical wanting of wisdom).

thread

JugurthaJan 2015

Hmmm, Let's see... Because French is a mother tongue for me. I was raised with de Balzac, Hugo, Dumas, Molière, Verne, Voltaire, etc. (My Petit Larousse 89 saved me).

I read Pascal's "Pensées" and Descartes "Discours de la Méthode" as a teenager. (blows the mind)

Reading in high-school ranged from Freud and Adler, to Nietzsche, Hume, Socrates and Marcus Aurelius. To Dostoïevsky and Ostrovski. To Bandler/Grinder/Dilts/Erickson...

I speak 5 languages fluently (on a daily basis), read a book or two, and I'm never sick at sea.

How many 'occidental philosophers' have you read? Don't take that patronizing route. I may seem to have a great sense of drama, but the art of disguising a slap as an advice is being lost.

If there was someone who loves French culture and art, it'd be me.. And this has nothing to do with France specifically.

This is about Governments (any, including ours) giving lame, unconvincing justifications. In other words: "You can try to screw me, but when you say it's for my own good, at least make it convincing"..

>I think you should read occidental philosophers a bit more, starting with socrate and aristotle, as well as history books written by objective historians, because many of your points either reduct to logical fallacies or gross exagerations...

>You seem to have a personnality attracted by absolute / binary things and a great sense of drama, so reading a bit of greek discussions will probably help you see that things aren't black and white and cool down a bit. As for french culture specifically, a bit of Voltaire and Rousseau will be a good start, because what you look as "prextexts and hypocrisies" are probably the kind of subtle reasoning that would let your country be in not such a miserable state.

thread