Question

How was Descartes's way of thinking connected to the scientific method?

Answer 1

His philosophy was much different than that of pervious thinkers. He theorized that thought cannot be separated from me, therefore, I exist (Discourse on the Method and Principles of Philosophy). Most famously, this is known as cogito ergo sum (English: "I think, therefore I am"). Therefore, Descartes concluded, if he doubted, then something or someone must be doing the doubting, therefore the very fact that he doubted proved his existence. "The simple meaning of the phrase is that if one is skeptical of existence, that is in and of itself proof that he does exist." He also influenced dualism which was an emerging theory of the Scientific Revolution.

Answer 2

Descartes influenced the scientific method showing the importance of questioning the veracity of information.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scientific method comprises two complementary approaches to knowledge: empirical (inductive) and rational (deductive). In the inductive approach used in descriptive sciences such as biology, anatomy and geology, general principles are extracted from the analysis of data collected through observation and experimentation. The main features of the inductive method were defended by the Englishman Francis Bacon, who considered the data coming from the sensory experience as bases of knowledge. In the deductive approach, employed in mathematics and theoretical physics, truths are derived from elementary principles. The deductive method was formulated in the seventeenth century by René Descartes, a French mathematician and philosopher, considered the founder of modern philosophy.

In Discourse on Method, his main work, Descartes expressed his disappointment with the knowledge of his time. Much of what he believed to be false. Descartes then resolved to seek only the knowledge that he could find within himself or in nature. He endeavored to find an irrefutable truth that would serve as an elementary principle of knowledge.

Descartes was considered the founder of modern philosophy for having encouraged individuals to question all traditional beliefs and for having proclaimed the inviolable autonomy of the mind, its ability and right to understand the truth. His statements made people aware of their ability to understand the world through their own mental faculties.