Podcast: RENÉ DESCARTES, The Scientific Method. In Our Power, Only Thoughts

This podcast, “RENÉ DESCARTES, The Scientific Method. In Our Power, Only Thoughts,” details his major publication, the “Discourse on the Method,” and contrasts his approach with empiricism. The podcast examines the Cartesian view of science, initially as something rooted in observation and experience, exemplified by his studies in optics and human physiology, and later as a search for a priori knowledge through reason and geometric deduction. This podcast covers Descartes’ method of doubt as a way to eliminate prejudice, his metaphysics centered on the existence of God as the foundation for knowledge, and his significant contributions to mathematics, such as analytic geometry. Although Cartesian rationalism has largely been replaced, the text argues that his methodological principles of clarity, systematic analysis, and cautious skepticism remain relevant to the search for truth in science and philosophy.