René Descartes Renatus Cartesius ; adjectival form : "Cartesian"; [9] 31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) was a French philosopher , mathematician , and scientist . Dubbed the father of modern western philosophy, much of subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, [10] [11] which are studied closely to this day. A native of the Kingdom of France, he spent about 20 years (1629–49) of his life in the Dutch Republic after serving for a while in the Dutch States Army of Maurice of Nassau , Prince of Orange and the Stadtholder of the United Provinces . He is generally considered one of the most notable intellectual representatives of the Dutch Golden Age . [12] Descartes's Meditations on First Philosophy continues to be a standard text at most university philosophy departments. Descartes's influence in mathematics is equally apparent; the...