I'm looking into the question about whether René Descartes was a Catholic priest. Wiki and Google seem to have no mention about it at all, but I'm just checking a few more resources (Including yahoo answers). Thanks.
2007-03-08 13:23:36 · 9 answers · asked by John M 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
No.
René Descartes, philosopher and scientist, studied at the Jesuit college of La Flèche, one of the most famous schools of the time and had lasting friendships with Catholic priests but he was not a priest.
Here is an article about him in the 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04744b.htm
With love in Christ.
2007-03-10 16:02:22 · answer #1 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Descartes Catholic
2016-12-18 04:52:11 · answer #2 · answered by corrie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am under the impression that Descartes was not a Catholic priest, as he feared his safety at the hands of the Church who condemned his philosophies
I am currently enrolled in an AP European History class. We studied the Enlightenment several months ago, but I shall share with you what my textbook states, in abbreviated form.
"He was trained in one of the best Jesuit schools in France...He was on the verge of publishing his views when he learned of the Church's condemnation of Galileo...He knew he was imperfect and that a perfect being had to have placed that knowledge within him. Therefore, a perfect being-God existed...Descartes's philosophy, known as Cartesianism, rested on the dual existence of matter and mind. Matter was the material world, subject to the incontrovertible laws of mathematics. Mind was the spirit of the creator....his later work was condemed, by the Catholic Church...he preferred the safety of Protestant Holland to the uncertainty of his Catholic homeland.
2007-03-08 14:43:12 · answer #3 · answered by Dani 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Descartes wasn't an atheist. Oh my goodness. He tried to prove the existence of God, all be it not very well. He was not a priest, he was a gentleman who didn't need an occupation.
2007-03-08 14:36:55 · answer #4 · answered by John F 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No he wasn't. He was a philosopher who did not even believe in Christianity. He was an atheist.
The philsopher that was a priest was Bishop George Berkeley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Descartes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Berkeley
2007-03-08 13:47:33 · answer #5 · answered by Alletery 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He was a Jesuit priest, which is a Catholic.
2007-03-08 13:32:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, he wasn't a priest. Philosopher, mathematician and even lousy biological theorist, but not a priest.
2007-03-08 13:27:44 · answer #7 · answered by Monc 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont think so. He was a pure rationalist, you may be thinking of Berkeley.
2007-03-08 13:28:08 · answer #8 · answered by peaco1000 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why ,was he a child molester?
2007-03-08 13:28:05 · answer #9 · answered by juanmeskin11 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋