Discourse on the Method | Study Guide

Discourse on Method is distinguished in the history of philosophy as it was one of the first philosophical works to be written in a language other than Latin. The intended audience was not other philosophers, mathematicians, or scientists, but was instead directed to a more general audience. Descartes explained that he wrote in French so that those of good sense (a group that included women, he said) could read his work. Discourse on Method also serves as an introductory essay for other technical works such as Dioptrics, Geometry, and Meteors. Descartes's writings are foundational, and his famous statement "I think, therefore I am" is well known in modern times, far beyond the boundaries of the study of philosophy.