A summary of "Discourse on the Method" by Rene Descartes.

Discourse on the Method is Descartes' attempt to explain his method of reasoning through even the most difficult of problems. He illustrates the development of this method through brief autobiographical sketches interspersed with philosophical arguments. Part 1 contains "various considerations concerning the sciences." First, all people possess "good sense," the ability to distinguish truth from fiction. Therefore, it is not a lack of ability that obstructs people but their failure to follow the correct path of …

…body dies. Because he cannot conceive of a way that the soul could perish or be killed, he is forced to conclude that the soul is immortal. In part 6, Descartes cautiously touches on possible conflicts with the church over his ideas about physical science. Finally, he implores his readers to read carefully, apologizes for writing in French rather than Latin, and vows to shun fame and fortune in the name of pursuing truth and knowledge.