About “Rēgulae ad dīrectiōnem ingeniī”
Rules for the Direction of the Mind is an unfinished treatise by René Descartes that outlines the proper method for scientific and philosophical thinking. He began writing it in 1628, and it was published in 1701, after his death. The work laid the foundation for his later contributions to mathematics, geometry, science, and philosophy. It was written over approximately 10 years, during which Descartes changed his approach and definitions of the rules. The text is considered a precursor to his other works and described as a 'scrapbook' of his ideas. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)
More by René Descartes
- Discourse on the Method · 1637
- Meditations Metaphysiques · 1641
- Principles of philosophy
- La Géométrie · 1638
- Passions of the Soul · 1649