Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we dissect the life and legacy of René Descartes (1596–1650), the French polymath widely celebrated as the father of modern philosophy and science,. From his early days as a mercenary in the Dutch States Army to his final, freezing days in Sweden, we explore how Descartes shattered the authority of the past to build a new foundation for human knowledge,,.

Join us as we cover:

• The Oven Visions: How a night spent in a stove-heated room delivered the visions that sparked his philosophical revolution.

• Cogito, Ergo Sum: Unpacking the famous "method of doubt" and the realization that "I think, therefore I am",.

• The Ghost in the Machine: Descartes' controversial theory of mind-body dualism and his belief that animals were merely machines without souls,.

• The Cartesian Coordinate: How he merged geometry and algebra to create analytic geometry and the mathematical "x" we use today,,.

• A Royal Demise: His ill-fated invitation to tutor Queen Christina of Sweden, where 5 a.m. lessons in a drafty castle led to pneumonia and death,.

• The Wandering Skull: The bizarre history of his remains, which were dug up, moved across Europe, and eventually separated from his skull.