Discourse on the Method of Rightly Conducting One's Reason and of Seeking Truth in the Sciences: A Quick Read edition

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The Discourse on the Method is a philosophical and autobiographical treatise published by René Descartes in 1637. It is best known for the famous quotation "Je pense, donc je suis" ("I think, therefore I am"). The book is divided into six parts, and in it, Descartes tackles the problem of skepticism by doubting everything to assess the world from a fresh perspective. He presents four precepts for arriving at knowledge, including never accepting anything for true that is not clearly known to be such. Descartes also discusses morals and maxims for conducting the method, including obeying the laws and customs of one's country. In Part IV, he provides three different proofs for the existence of God and the soul. The method of profound skepticism is considered to be the start of modern philosophy. Descartes' work influenced future science and is important to the development of natural sciences.