Descartes in 90 Minutes

by Paul Strathern

Book Overview

"Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character....I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization."--Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe. "Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them....I find them hard to stop reading."--Richard Bernstein, New York Times. "Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise."--Jim Holt, Wall Street Journal...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566631297
• ISBN13: 9781566631297
• Release Date: September 1996
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee Publisher
• Length: 91 Pages
• Weight: 0.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.1" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A study into the mind of a genius.

Rene Descartes was one of A kind, not only a philosopher, mathematician, physicist,and Isaac Newtons mentor. He was a good person looking for truth. What I admired the most about Descartes; was his search for God & his truths. He knew that the physical body was separate from the spirit body, interestingly so did Aristotle; who descartes had studied with great interest.

The life and the main ideas of the work

Descartes was like so many of the great philosophers orphaned when young. A lonely child never given much affection he wandered the world never really able to make a place home. But when he wandered he thought. And his thought was remarkably original not only in philosophy, but in various sciences including astronomy and physics, and in mathematics. He made major contributions in more than one area including supplying the Cartesian coordinates idea for mathematics. His great achievement according to Strethan is his being the first philosopher to break the stranglehold of Aristotelian thought, and liberate the world to focus on the thinking individual and his subjectivity. In the famous Cogito Ergo Sum Descartes begins by doubting everything and comes to the one certainty which should help him build another system of thought. Strathern makes the point that the Thirty Years War the uncertain times in which he lived made it somehow necessary for him to seek out ' certainty'. From his thinking self he goes to establish the reality of the world, and the reality of God. Descartes a devout Catholic died in Protestant Sweden on a fools error arranged at the whim of a King.

Another winner from Strathern!

Strathern is a master at this kind of work, which mixes biography, critical analysis, historical context and humor all in a concise, informative & entertaining package. He lists a time line for the philosopher, his place in world/philosophic history & a selection of works for furthur reading. This series of books by Strathern is a wonderful course in Philosophy 101 without ever having to go to college, all presented in plain, easy to understand English without being bogged down with philosophy's often confusing vernacular.

Entertaining, amusing, interesting.

Descartes, is the second of Paul Strathern 90 min philosophy books I read. While reading the third (after 75 min) I had to find out if there are other books by Strathern. I was worried that I will run out of his books. The description of historic relevance, the irony of the situation described in this book are excellent. I must admit that the philosophy bit goes over my head, but the crumbs I understand are sufficient to please me. I am definitely going to read a few more books by Strathern