René Descartes

Timeline

1. 1631–1636Leiden · South HollandIn the 1630s he wrote in seclusion in the Netherlands, systematically expounding the method of doubt and principles of reason, and maintained correspondence with European scholars through Mersenne and others, laying the intellectual foundation for the later publication of the Discourse on Method.
2. 1637–1640Western Netherlands · NetherlandsIn 1637 he published the Discourse on Method, accompanied by the Geometry proposing coordinate geometric methods that unified algebra and geometry, becoming an important breakthrough in modern mathematics; meanwhile propositions such as 'I think, therefore I am' sparked widespread discussion in European intellectual circles.