Discourse on the Method (French: Discours de la méthode) is a philosophical and autobiographical work by René Descartes, first published in 1637. It serves as an introduction to Descartes' subsequent works in philosophy, particularly his Meditations on First Philosophy, and his scientific explorations, including his contributions to Optics, Meteorology, and Geometry.
The book is divided into six parts:
Published during the Scientific Revolution, Discourse on the Method was part of a broader movement to question established knowledge and to promote empirical and rational methods of inquiry. Descartes' work was influenced by the skepticism of Montaigne and the new scientific approaches of figures like Galileo Galilei. However, it also faced criticism and censorship due to its implications for religious doctrines and traditional philosophy.
The Discourse on the Method laid the groundwork for modern philosophy by introducing systematic doubt as a method to establish certainty in knowledge. It influenced thinkers like John Locke, Baruch Spinoza, and later, Immanuel Kant. Its approach to science and philosophy helped bridge the gap between speculative philosophy and empirical science, promoting a more mathematical and mechanical view of the world.
Descartes' method has had lasting effects: