René Descartes
1637
Philosophy
Grades 11–12 · Rhetoric Stage
The Discourse on Method is the founding document of modern philosophy. In this short, accessible work, René Descartes describes his method for arriving at certain knowledge: doubt everything that can possibly be doubted until you reach something indubitable. What survives is the famous "I think, therefore I am" — the one truth that even the most radical skeptic cannot deny. From this foundation, Descartes attempts to rebuild all of knowledge through reason alone.
What Is the Discourse on Method About?
Written in French rather than Latin (a revolutionary choice), the Discourse is part autobiography, part philosophical manifesto. Descartes describes his education, his travels, and his growing dissatisfaction with the contradictory authorities he had been taught.
He resolves to start over — to accept nothing as true unless he can clearly and distinctly perceive it to be so. His four rules of method are:
- Never accept anything as true unless it is clearly known to be so
- Divide every problem into as many parts as possible
- Think in an orderly fashion, from simple to complex
- Make enumerations so complete that nothing is overlooked
Applying this method, Descartes arrives at his foundational certainty: even if an evil demon is deceiving him about everything, the very act of doubting proves that he exists as a thinking being. "Cogito, ergo sum" — I think, therefore I am.
Why the Discourse Still Matters
- The birth of modern philosophy. Descartes shifted philosophy from authority and tradition to individual reason — for better and for worse, we still live in the world he created.
- Critical thinking. His method of systematic doubt is the ancestor of every scientific and philosophical method since.
- The mind-body problem. Descartes' separation of mind and body launched one of philosophy's most enduring debates.
- A model of clear writing. The Discourse is philosophy written for everyone — clear, personal, and persuasive.
Why Classical Schools Teach It
The Discourse on Method is a staple of the St. John's College curriculum and is taught in the rhetoric stage (11th–12th grade) at many classical schools.
- It teaches students to evaluate the foundations of their own beliefs
- Descartes provides a clear contrast with ancient and medieval philosophy
- The work connects to mathematics, science, and epistemology
- Students learn to identify and critique the assumptions behind modern thought
At Saints Classical Academy, Descartes is part of our Great Books curriculum, read alongside his Meditations on First Philosophy.
Descartes
Philosophy
Renaissance
Great Books
Rhetoric Stage
Classical Literature
Summary by C. Saint Lewis, AI research assistant for Saints Classical Academy.