ication during his
lifetime. Besides the "Discourse on Method" (1637), with the
treatises on dioptrics, meteors, and geometry, his principal
works were his "Meditations" addressed to the Deans of the
Faculty of Theology in the University of Paris; the "Principia
Philosophiae," and the "Traite des Passions de L'Ame," in
which, he handled morals. Descartes died at Stockholm, whither
he had been summoned by Queen Christina, on February 11, 1649.
His work stands a landmark in the modern history of
philosophic thought.

_I.--THE AIM OF THIS DISCOURSE_

Good sense or reason must be better distributed than anything else in
the world, for no man desires more of it than he already has. This shows
that reason is by nature equal in all men. If there is diversity of
opinion, this arises from the fact that we conduct our thought by
different ways, and consider not the same things. It does not suffice
that the understanding be good--it must be well applied.

My mind is no better than another's, but I have been lucky enough to
chance on certain ways, which have led me to a certain method by means
of which it seems to me that I may by degrees augment my knowledge to
the modest measure of my intellect and my length of days. I shall be
very glad to make plain in this discourse the paths I have followed, and
to picture my life so that all may judge of it, and by the setting forth
of their opinions may furnish me with yet other means of improvement.

It is my design not to teach the method which each man ought to follow
for the right guidance of his reason, but only to show in what manner I
have tried to conduct my own.

I had been nourished on letters from my infancy, but as soon as I had
finished the customary course of study, I found myself hampered by so
many doubts and errors that I seemed to have reaped no benefits, except
that I had observed more and more of my ignorance: Yet I was at one of
the most celebrated schools in Europe, and I was not held inferior to my
fellow-students, some of whom were destined to take the place of our
masters; nor did our age seem less fruitful of good wits than any which
had gone before. Though I did not cease to esteem the studies of the
schools, I began to think that I had given enough time to languages,
enough also to ancient books, their stories and their fables; for when a
man spends too much time in travelling abroad he becomes a stranger in