Discourse on Method
René Descartes
Appears in 14 ideas
Metaphysics/Science
Science
- AnimalWhat distinguishes the animal from the plant and the human, and what is the nature of animal life?
- MedicineIs medicine an art or a science, and what is the relation of health to disease?
- ElementWhat are the basic building blocks of the physical world, and how do they combine to form complex things?
Epistemology
- OpinionHow does opinion differ from knowledge, and what authority does it deserve?
- PhilosophyWhat is philosophy, and what is its value for human life?
- PrincipleWhat are the starting points of knowledge and reality, and how do we know them?
- ReasoningHow does the mind move from what it knows to what it does not yet know?
- HypothesisWhat role do assumptions play in inquiry, and how are hypotheses tested?
- MathematicsWhat is the nature of mathematical objects, and why does mathematics apply to the physical world?
Logic & Method
- LogicWhat are the rules that govern valid reasoning, and is logic a science, an art, or both?
- InductionHow does the mind move from observed particulars to universal truths, and can this move ever be rationally justified?
- ScienceWhat distinguishes scientific knowledge from opinion, philosophy, and faith?