René Descartes (philosopher)

René Descartes was a 17th-century French philosopher and mathematician, often called the "father of modern philosophy." He emphasized the importance of rational thought and doubt as tools to discover truth. His famous statement, "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"), highlights the idea that thinking is the fundamental proof of one's existence. Descartes sought to understand the nature of reality by separating the mind (thinking, consciousness) from the body (material, physical). His work laid the foundation for modern science and influenced many philosophical debates about knowledge, existence, and the relationship between mind and matter.