Descartes in 90 Minutes

Rene Descartes spent most of his childhood in solitude, a situation that also came to characterize his adult life. Happily, these countless lonely hours helped Descartes produce the declaration that changed all philosophy: "I think, therefore I am." Eventually convincing himself to doubt and disregard sensory knowledge, Descartes found he could prove his existence through his thoughts. This internal information, he believed, was the true reality; external forces were hopelessly deceiving. In Descartes in 90 Minutes, Paul Strathern offers a concise, expert account of Descartes's life and ideas, and explains their influence on man's struggle to understand his existence in the world. The book also includes selections from Descartes's work; a brief list of suggested reading for those who wish to push further; and chronologies that place Descartes within his own age and in the broader scheme of philosophy.