Rene Descartes was a central figure in the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century In his Discourse on Method he outlined the contrast between mathematics & experimental sciences & the extent to which each one can achieve certainty Drawing on his own work in geometry optics astronomy & physiology Descartes developed the hypothetical method that characterizes modern science & this soon came to replace the traditional techniques derived from Aristotle Many of Descartes' most radical ideas
- such as the disparity between our perceptions & the realities that cause them
- have been highly influential in the development of modern philosophy