René Descartes (philosopher and mathematician)

René Descartes was a 17th-century French philosopher and mathematician often called the "father of modern philosophy." He emphasized reason as the primary way to gain knowledge, famously stating "I think, therefore I am" to establish a foundation for understanding existence. Descartes also made significant contributions to mathematics, developing coordinate geometry that links algebra and geometry, and pioneering methods for scientific reasoning. His ideas laid the groundwork for modern scientific inquiry and philosophical thinking about doubt, certainty, and the nature of reality.