René Descartes | Timeline

René Descartes (March 31, 1596, La Haye, Touraine, France — February 11, 1650, Stockholm, Sweden), was a French mathematician, scientist, and philosopher. Because he was one of the first to abandon scholastic Aristotelianism, because he formulated the first modern version of mind-body dualism, from which stems the mind-body problem, and because he promoted the development of a new science grounded in observation and experiment, he has been called the father of modern philosophy. Applying an original system of methodical doubt, he dismissed apparent knowledge derived from authority, the senses, and reason and erected new epistemic foundations on the basis of the intuition that, when he is thinking, he exists; this he expressed in the dictum “I think, therefore I am” (best known in its Latin formulation, “Cogito, ergo sum,” though originally written in French, “Je pense, donc je suis”). He developed a metaphysical dualism that distinguishes radically between mind, the essence of which is thinking, and matter, the essence of which is extension in three dimensions. Descartes’s metaphysics is rationalist, based on the postulation of innate ideas of mind, matter, and God, but his physics and physiology, based on sensory experience, are mechanistic and empiricist. (Intro from Britannica)

March 31, 1596 - La Haye en Touraine - René Descartes is born

April 3, 1596 - La Haye en Touraine - René Descartes is baptized

May 13, 1597 - La Haye en Touraine - Jeanne Brochard, René's mother, dies. He is brought up by his maternal grandmother, Jeanne Sain, with his elder brother Pierre and sister

January(?) 1(?), 1600 - (While in La Haye) - His father remarries

April 16, 1607 - La Flèche, Anjou - Enters the Jesuit Collège Royal Henry-Le-Grand just after Easter

January(?) 1(?), 1610 - (While in La Flèche) - Jeanne Sain dies

May 15, 1610 - La Flèche, Anjou - Descartes participates in the procession carrying the king's heart to its final resting place in La Flèche

August 8, 1613 - (While in La Flèche) - His brother Pierre earns a Baccalauréat and Licence in canon and civil law

January(?) 1(?), 1614 - Outside Paris - Young Descartes graduates and leaves college. He moves to an house outside Paris, alone and probably suffering from a nervous breakdown

January(?) 1(?), 1615 - Poitiers - Enrolls at the University of Poitiers. He takes rooms at the house of a tailor

October 10, 1616 - Poitiers - Earns a Baccalauréat and Licence in canon and civil law =(START)

January(?) 1(?), 1617 - Rennes | Sucé, near Nantes - After his studies end, Descartes rejoins his family in Rennes, and then at Sucé, where his father's second wife had a house

August(?) 1(?), 1618 - Breda, Netherlands - Joins as a mercenary, the Protestant Dutch Army under the command of Maurice of Nassau

November 10, 1618 - Breda - Meeting with Isaac Beeckman, also interested in "scientific matters". He challenges Descartes to a mathematical puzzle and is amazed by the frenchman's capabilities
January 1, 1619 - Breda - Descartes offers his "Compendium Musicae" to Beeckman as a gift
January 24, 1619 - Breda - Letter to Isaac Beeckman (in Middelburg), telling him that he was engaged in "painting, military architecture, and above all Flemish"
February 9, 1619 - Breda - Letter to Isaac Beeckman (in Middelburg)
March 26, 1619 - Breda - Letter to Isaac Beeckman (in Middelburg) - "I desire to give the public not an Ars brevis of Lull, but a science based on new foundations"
April 24, 1619 - Breda - After saying goodbye to Beeckman, Descartes leaves Breda, planning a journey though Germany to join the army of Maximilian of Bavaria
April 29, 1619 - Amsterdam - Letter to Isaac Beeckman (in Middelburg). Descartes embarks on a ship to Copenhagen
May 6, 1619 - (While in Copenhagen) - Isaac Beeckman writes to Descartes
June(?) 1(?), 1619 - Danzig - From Denmark, Descartes crosses to Danzig
July(?) 1(?), 1619 - Poland - Some weeks later, Descartes heads south, traveling through Poland
July(?) 10(?), 1619 - Hungary - Descartes enters Hungary
July 20, 1619 - Frankfurt - Descartes turns west and reaches Frankfurt
August 27, 1619 - Frankfurt - Attends the coronation of Ferdinand II
October 1(?), 1619 - Neuburg an der Donau - Enters the service of Catholic Duke Maximilian of Bavaria at Neuburg an der Donau
November 10, 1619 - Neuburg an der Donau - While stationed at Neuburg, Descartes apparently has 3 dreams and believes that a divine spirit revealed to him a new philosophy
February 23, 1620 - Neuburg an der Donau - Descartes vows in thanksgiving to make a pilgrimage to the Virgin of Loreto
July 1(?), 1620 - Ulm - Descartes decides to leave the rest of the troops as they progressed northeast, and to visit the city of Ulm. He meets Johann Faulhaber, a german mystic-mathematician
November 1(?), 1620 - Ulm - Descartes and his valet depart Ulm and travel northeast to rejoin Duke Maximilian's army
November 8, 1620 - Near Prague - Descartes participates in the Battle of White Mountain, serving the Catholic League as an official observer
November 9, 1620 - Prague - Descartes enters Prague with the other soldiers
November 11, 1620 - Prague - Descartes has a revelation while walking through Prague - "I began to conceive the foundation of an admirable discovery" - He writes "Olympica" (now lost)
December 10(?), 1620 - South of Bohemia - Descartes departs Prague with Maximilian's troops to their new winter quarters in the south of Bohemia
March 1(?), 1621 - South of Bohemia - Descartes gets tired of being stationed in the south of Bohemia and quits the service of Maximilian of Bavaria
April(?) 1(?), 1621 - Middelburg(?) - Back in the Netherlands. Descartes resumes his joint work on mathematics, music and mechanics with Isaac Beeckman
June 1(?), 1621 - Ulm - Back in Germany, probably meets Johann Faulhaber again
July 1(?), 1621 - Hungary - Descartes leaves Germany and travels to Hungary
August(?) 1(?), 1621 - Breslau (Wroclaw) - Descartes visits Breslau to learn about the effects of the war on the inhabitants of the region
October(?) 1(?), 1621 - Pomerania - In Pomerania in the beginning of the Autumn
October(?) 10(?), 1621 - Stettin - Visit to Stettin and the Baltic Coast
November(?) 1(?), 1621 - Brandenburg - Visit to Brandenburg, where the Elector had just arrived from Warsaw
November(?) 10(?), 1621 - Duchy of Mecklenburg - Continues to the Duchy of Mecklenburg
November(?) 20(?), 1621 - Holstein - Reaches Holstein
November 30(?), 1621 - Elbe River, Germany - Descartes embarks on a ship to the Frisian islands. While aboard he realized that the crewmen are robbers who plan to kill him and take his money. Descartes understands their dialect and maintains calm. Before their move, Descartes draws his sword and controls the crew, who are surprised and terrorized by the french passenger
December 10(?), 1621 - Netherlands - Returns to the Netherlands via the Frisian islands and spends the winter there, often visiting Beeckman
February(?) 1(?), 1622 - Spanish Netherlands (Belgium) - Descartes and his valet travel through the catholic parts of the Spanish Netherlands
February(?) 10(?), 1622 - Paris - Passing though Paris
February(?) 20(?), 1622 - Touraine | Poitou - Descartes reaches the regions of Touraine and Poitou
March 1(?), 1622 - Rennes - Descartes arrives to his father's house in Rennes
May 1(?), 1622 - Poitou - Joachim Descartes turns over to René the major part of the wealth he had inherited from his wife after her death. Since much of the wealth was in the form of land holdings, René decides to travel to the Poitou region, the location of his new lands, so he could inspect them and perhaps come to a decision as to what to do with them
May 22, 1622 - Poitou - Letter to his father, Joachim
March 21, 1623 - Paris - Letter to his brother, Pierre
May 1(?), 1623 - Rennes | Châtellerault, Poitou - Arrives in Rennes. Then continues to Poitou
July 8, 1623 - Châtellerault, Poitou - Descartes sells a large estate he inherited from his grandparents
July(?) 15(?), 1623 - Rennes - Descartes takes the money with him to Brittany
September(?) 1(?), 1623 - Paris - Descartes bids farewell to his family and returns to Paris
April(?) 15(?), 1624 - Zurich, Switzerland - Descartes crosses the Alps and arrives in Zurich. He discusses mathematics with local scholars
May(?) 1(?), 1624 - Tyrol - Continues east to the region of Tyrol
May 16, 1624 - Venice, Italy - Descartes arrives in Venice just in time to witness the feast of the Ascension
June(?) 1(?), 1624 - Loreto (Loretto) - Visit to Basilica della Santa Casa
August(?) 1(?), 1624 - Rome - Descartes arrives in Rome - speculative date
August 24, 1624 - (While in Rome) - Jean Bitault, Étienne de Claves and Antoine Villon, post notices announcing 2 days of disputations - in opposition to Aristotle - "One of the most beautiful halls in Paris had been retained and nearly a thousand people were already assembled"
September(?) 1(?), 1624 - Arcetri, (Florence) Tuscany - Descartes visits Arcetri on his way back to France but to his great disappointment, he isn't able to meet Galileo
April 1(?), 1625 - Gavi - Observes the military maneuvers of the Duke of Savoy
May 1(?), 1625 - Turin - Visits the City of Turin
May 10(?), 1625 - Alps - Descartes crosses the Alps back to France, having witnessed an avalanche
June 1(?), 1625 - Poitiers - Descartes reaches Poitiers, via Lyon
June 24, 1625 - Poitiers - Letter to his father, Joachim, asking if he thinks it's too late for him to enter a legal career
July(?) 1(?), 1625 - Rennes - Arrives in Rennes to stay with his family before returning later to Paris
February 1(?), 1626 - Paris - Letter to Marin Mersenne, a french polymath
July 16, 1626 - Paris - Letter to his brother, Pierre, about financial affairs
January 22, 1628 - Kerleu in Elven, Brittany - Descartes is back in Brittany to be godfather for his brother Pierre's son Joachim
March 30, 1628 - Kerleu in Elven, Brittany - Balzac sends a copy of his just published "Discourse of a Christian Socrates" to Descartes
August 30(?), 1628 - Outside La Rochelle - Descartes arrives outside of the besieged city of La Rochelle to observe the military and engineering operations
October 27, 1628 - La Rochelle - Descartes enters the defeated protestant town of La Rochelle with Louis XIII's troops
November 10, 1628 - Paris - Descartes returns to Paris. Begins writing "Regulae ad Directionem Ingenii" (unfinished work)
December(?) 1(?), 1628 - Paris - Descartes departs to Middelburg to visit Isaac Beeckman
December(?) 8(?), 1628 - Dordrecht - Not finding Isaac Beeckman at Middelburg, he meets with him in Dordrecht
December(?) 20(?), 1628 - Dordrecht - Descartes moves to the Netherlands permanently
April 26, 1629 - Franeker, Netherlands - Joins the University of Franeker
June 18, 1629 - Franeker - Letter to Ferrier
July 18, 1629 - Franeker - Letter to Gibieuf
August 1(?), 1629 - Franeker - Letter to Mersenne
October 8, 1629 - Amsterdam - Letters to Ferrier and Mersenne
December 18, 1629 - Amsterdam - Letter to Mersenne
June 26, 1630 - Leiden - Enrolls at the Leiden University
October 17, 1630 - Leiden(?) - Descartes has a falling-out with Isaac Beeckman, whom he accuses of plagiarizing some of his ideas
April 15, 1631 - Amsterdam - Letter to Balzac
May 5, 1631 - Amsterdam - Letter to Balzac
May 20(?), 1631 - Denmark - Visits Denmark with the physician and alchemist Étienne de Villebressieu to see hydraulic works
April 5, 1632 - Amsterdam - Letter to Mersenne
May 1(?), 1632 - Deventer - Moves to Deventer. Descartes reconciles with Beeckman
February 1, 1634 - Deventer - Letter to Mersenne
August 14, 1634 - Amsterdam - Letter to Mersenne. Descartes lodges at the house of Thomas Sergeant - a bookshop owner and associate of Descartes
October 15, 1634 - Amsterdam - Relationship with a servant girl, Hélène Jans van der Strom (according to him, the night of his daughter's conception)
April 1(?), 1635 - Utrecht - In the Spring, Descartes goes to Utrecht, where Reneri was about to provide the first institutional teaching of Cartesian natural philosophy
July 19, 1635 - Deventer - Daughter Francine is born
August 8, 1635 - Deventer - Francine's baptism
November 1, 1635 - Utrecht - Letter to Constantijn Huygens, a dutch poet, composer and secretary to the Princes of Orange (Frederik Hendrik and Willem II)
December 8, 1635 - Utrecht - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
March 1(?), 1636 - Leiden - Moves to Leiden to supervise publication of the "Discours" and the three "Essais"
March 28, 1636 - Leiden - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
June 11, 1636 - Leiden - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
July 13, 1636 - Leiden - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
October 30, 1636 - Leiden - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
January 1, 1637 - Leiden - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
February 25, 1637 - Leiden - Letter to Constantijn Huygens - Descartes refuses to say anything about Mersennes 'Table of propositions' because he says he knows Mersenne personally too well.

Discours de la Methode, 1637

March 1, 1637 - Leiden - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
April 20, 1637 - Leiden - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
May 20, 1637 - Alkmaar - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
June 8, 1637 - (While in Alkmaar) - "Discours de la Methode" is published by Jean Maire in Leiden
July 5, 1637 - Alkmaar - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
February 22, 1638 - Alkmaar(?) - Letter to Vatier
March 1, 1638 - Alkmaar(?) - Letter to Mersenne
March 9, 1638 - Alkmaar(?) - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
March 31, 1638 - Santpoort - Letter to Mersenne
August 18, 1638 - Santpoort - Letter to Henricus Regius
October 11, 1638 - Santpoort - Letter to Mersenne
January 29, 1639 - Santpoort - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
February 20, 1639 - Santpoort - Letter to Mersenne
May 6, 1639 - Santpoort - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
November 26, 1639 - Santpoort - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
December 12, 1639 - Leiden - Letter to Constantijn Huygens - Letter about non-musical matters. In the postscriptum Descartes deals with a controversy between Huygens and Salmasius. He reports that he has seen Ban's new harpsichord. Ban will still contact Huygens with Bloemaert.
December 17, 1639 - Santpoort - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
March 12, 1640 - Santpoort - Letter to Constantijn Huygens - Descartes writes about various things, such as the miracle stories of Mersenne, the lens-grinder Beaune and the issue around Stampioen. He has heard that Huygens recently went to Haarlem and wants to hear Huygens' opinion on Bans harpsichord.
April 1(?), 1640 - Santpoort - Departs to Leiden

Meditationes, 1640

May 5(?), 1640 - Leiden - Returns to Leiden to supervise printing of the "Meditationes"
May 15, 1640 - Leiden - Descartes receives a letter from Henricus Regius
May 24, 1640 - Leiden - Letter to Henricus Regius
June 11, 1640 - Leiden - Letter to Mersenne
August 27, 1640 - Leiden - Letter to Constatijn Huygens
September 7, 1640 - Amersfoort - Francine Descartes dies of scarlet fever, aged 5
September 15, 1640 - Leiden - Returns from Francine's funeral
October 2, 1640 - Leiden - Letter to Joachim de Wicquefort
November 11, 1640 - Leiden - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
December 24, 1640 - Leiden - Letter to Mersenne
January 16, 1641 - Leiden - Letter to Constatijn Huygens
March 1(?), 1641 - Endergeest, near Leiden - Publication of "Meditationes de Prima Philosophia, in qua Dei existentia et animæ immortalitas demonstratur". Descartes moves to the castle of Endergeest
July 29, 1641 - Endergeest - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
March 16, 1642 - (While in Endergeest) - The senate of the University of Utrecht publicly condemns Cartesian philosophy, forbidding professors from teaching it at the University
April 26, 1642 - Endergeest - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
May 1(?), 1643 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Moves to Egmond aan den Hoef, still with Helena as his servant
May 24, 1643 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
June 13, 1643 - Egmond aan den Hoef - The municipality of Utrecht places a public poster in the center of the city, making public Descartes' private letters to Dinet and to Voetius. Descartes is officially charged with libel against Voetius.
July 10, 1643 - Amsterdam - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
September 20, 1643 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
January(?) 1(?), 1644 - (While in Egmond aan den Hoef) - Publication of "Principia Philosophiæ"
February 26, 1644 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
April 10, 1644 - Utrecht - The senate of the University of Utrecht clears Descarts of the accusation of atheism
May 1(?), 1644 - Paris - Travels to France for an extended stay (he would be at Blois, Tours, Nantes and Rennes)
May 4, 1644 - (While in Paris) - In Leiden, Helena marries Jan Jansz van Wel, a local innkeeper, by contract. The marriage is celebrated days later at Egmond
June 12, 1644 - Paris - Apology letter to Voetius
October 1(?), 1644 - Paris - He distributes 12 copies of the "Principles" to the jesuits in Paris
November 13, 1644 - Dordrecht - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
November 15(?), 1644 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Returns to Egmond aan den Hoef
December 21, 1644 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
October 4, 1645 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Descartes spends 4 days with Pierre Chanut, future diplomat in Sweden, who was travelling from France to Denmark
November 3, 1645 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia
March 11, 1646 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
November 1, 1646 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Clerselier. Descartes mentions that Chanut is waiting to get a copy of the french edition of the "Meditations", to present it to Queen Christina
November 23, 1646 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Mersenne
January(?) 1(?), 1647 - (While in Egmond aan den Hoef) - French translation of "Meditationes de Prima Philosophia, in qua Dei existentia et animæ immortalitas demonstratur" and "Principia Philosophiæ" are published under Descartes' supervision as "Méditations Métaphysiques" and "Les Principes de la Philosophie"
March 1(?), 1647 - (While in Egmond aan den Hoef) - Descartes is condemned by Revius and other theologians at the University of Leiden
April 1(?), 1647 - (While in Egmond aan den Hoef) - Descartes is condemned by Revius and other theologians at the University of Leiden
April 19, 1647 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Heereboord
May 4, 1647 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to the curators of the University of Leiden and the consuls of the city
May 12, 1647 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
June 1(?), 1647 - France - Travels to France
September 1(?), 1647 - Holland - Returns to Holland, after meeting Hobbes, Gassendi and Pascal
December 8, 1647 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
December 12, 1647 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
January 15, 1648 - The Hague - Passes through The Hague on his way to Rotterdam
February 21, 1648 - The Hague(?) - Letter to Chanut: planning "to go to Paris at the beginning of next month"
April 16, 1648 - The Hague(?) - Dinner and interview with Frans Burman
May 1(?), 1648 - Paris - Descartes arrives in Paris
August 17, 1648 - Paris - Descartes leaves hurriedly Paris, just before the start of the Fronde

"Passions de l'âme", 1649

January(?) 1(?), 1649 - (While in Egmond aan den Hoef) - "Les Passions de l'âme" (Dedicated to Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia) is published in Paris
February 26, 1649 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Chanut and another to Queen Christina of Sweden - "Madame, if it should have happened that a letter was sent to me from heaven, and that I saw it descend upon me from the clouds, I would not have been more surprised, and would not have received it with more respect and veneration than I did the letter your majesty has written me"
April 23, 1649 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Clerselier
June 11, 1649 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Carcavi
August 1(?), 1649 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Descartes is visited by swedish admiral Flemming, sent to pick him up. He starts packing his bags, taking care of financial concerns, moving money from one bank to another, paying off debts, and revising his will.
August 17, 1649 - Egmond aan den Hoef - Letter to Carcavi
September 1, 1649 - Amsterdam - Descartes arrives in Amsterdam with his new german valet Henry Schluter, where he meets some local friends who gather to wish him bon voyage
October 4, 1649 - Stockholm, Sweden - Arrives in Stockholm after a lenghty voyage due to headwinds. Descartes spends the voyage helping the admiral navigate in difficult seas. According to Flemming, he learned more during the month he spent with Descartes than he did in decades of sailing the oceans
October 5, 1649 - Stockholm - Descartes is received by Queen Christina of Sweden
October 9, 1649 - Stockholm - Letter to Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia
December 4, 1649 - Stockholm - Letter to Constantijn Huygens
January 15, 1650 - Stockholm - Letter to Brégy - "The thoughts of the people here freeze during the winter as do the waters...My desire to return to my desert grows every day more and more".
February 1, 1650 - Stockholm - Contracts pneumonia while visiting Chanut. While Descartes gets sick, Chanut recovers
February 3, 1650 - Stockholm - As the queen's french doctor was away in a mission, her second doctor, a dutchman named Weulles is called. This was a man that fiercely hated Descartes. When the philosopher didn't allow the doctor to bleed him (due to his advanced knowledge), Weulles hated him even more
February 8, 1650 - Stockholm - Descartes begins feeling well. He sits on the bed, reading, eating bread and drinking water, telling everyone that the illness was gone. He asks for wine mixed with tobacco flavour
February 9, 1650 - Stockholm - Descartes gets much worse, vomiting blood...(as recently was discovered that)...Dr.Weulles poisoned the wine
February 10, 1650 - Stockholm - Very weak, Descartes is then bled twice, which makes him worse. He lies by the fire and says before loosing consciousness: "Ah, my dear Schluter, this is the time I must leave". A few hours later, as they realize that he would not survive, a priest administers him the last rites.
February 11, 1650 - Stockholm - René Descartes dies in the morning, aged 53 =(END)

Bibliography

ACZEL, Amir D. - "Descartes' secret notebook"