It is written of 17th Century philosopher Rene Descartes that he had four rules for himself in his thinking: Never accept anything except clear and distinct ideas; Divide each problem into as many parts are needed to solve it; Order your thoughts from the simple to the complex; Always check thoroughly for oversights. His “methodological doubt” lead him to the famous formulation “I think, therefore I am”. And in doing so inaugurated a break in Western thought with the thinking subject – the “I” of cogito ergo sum – at its center.

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Tags:  Rene Descartes,  I,  Self,  Philosophy,  Modern,  Ideas,  Thought,  Thinking,  Four rules,  Problem,  Order,  Simple,  Complex,  Inaugurating the modern,  Night School