A Discourse on Method, Meditations on the First Philosophy, and Principles of Philosophy

Rene Descartes

Oct 2009 · Blackstone Audio Inc. · Narrated by James Adams

About this audiobook

This three-part work includes A Discourse on Method, Meditations on the First Philosophy, and Principles of Philosophy. By calling everything into doubt, Descartes laid the foundations of modern philosophy. With the celebrated words "I think, therefore I am," his compelling argument swept aside ancient and medieval traditions. He deduced that human beings consist of minds and bodies, that these are totally distinct "substances," and that God exists and that he ensures we can trust the evidence of our senses. Ushering in the "scientific revolution" of Galileo and Newton, his ideas have set the agenda for debate ever since. His philosophical methods and investigation changed the course of Western philosophy and led to or transformed the fields of metaphysics, epistemology, physics, mathematics, political theory, and ethics.

About the author

René Descartes (1596–1650) was a French philosopher, mathematician, physicist, and writer and is considered to be the father of modern philosophy and the founder of analytical geometry. He constructed a system of knowledge that discards perception as unreliable and instead relies on deduction as a method to ensure that our knowledge rests upon a firm foundation. He retained a deep religious faith as a Catholic to his dying day, along with a resolute desire to discover the truth. In 1663, the Pope placed his works on the Index of Prohibited Books.

James Adams is one of the world's leading authorities on terrorism and intelligence, and for more than twenty-five years he has specialized in national security. He is also the author of fourteen bestselling books on warfare, with a particular emphasis on covert warfare. A former managing editor of the London Sunday Times and CEO of United Press International, he trained as a journalist in England, where he graduated first in the country. Now living in Southern Oregon, he has narrated numerous audiobooks and earned an AudioFile Earphones Award and two coveted Audie Award for best narration.