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03 Aug 2026, 03:08
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Rene Descartes, a 16th century Frenchman often regarded as one of the founders of modern philosophy, penned one of its most famous slogans: “I think, therefore I am.” This statement was the conclusion to an approach of systematic doubt, the goal of which was to arrive at a new foundation for knowledge. He might have been able to doubt all the evidence of his senses, Descartes reasoned, but he could not doubt the proposition that he himself existed to do the doubting. His statement might almost be rephrased as: “I doubt, therefore I am.” Yet despite the fact that philosophers since the early 19th century have made heavy use of this conclusion, Descartes in his own day was most influential as a scientist, not a philosopher.
Throughout 16th century Europe, for example, Descartes was well known for his work in physics, geometry, and physiology, and modern scholars still consider him one of the precursors of the scientific revolution. His attempts to use algebra to solve problems of space and motion essentially created the field of analytic geometry, upon which modern applied mathematics is still largely based. Descartes discovered the law of refraction, which explains why straight objects appear bent when immersed partly in water, and was one of the first to theorize that the workings of human bodies can be studied in similar fashion to the workings of machines. Even his “Discourse on Method,” which contained the famous philosophical statement, was intended merely as the framework within which a collection of essays on optics, meteorology, and geometry was to be understood.
It can be inferred from the passage that Descartes came to be known as a philosopher rather than a scientist for which of the following reasons?
A. Because doubt is a very common problem for the modern individual
B. Because more of his philosophical than scientific writings have been preserved
C. Because of his popularity with philosophers since the early 19th century
D. Because he himself considered philosophy to be more important than science
E. Because optics is no longer a significant scientific field
Explanation
This question requires that a logical conclusion be drawn from information stated in the passage. Since the author discusses the misconception that Descartes is a philosopher when he should be known as a scientist, review the passage to discern what reasons the author may give for this.
A. The modern individual is not mentioned in the passage.
B. The passage does not mention which of Descartes’ works have been preserved.
C. Correct. In this line, the author implies that Descartes remains well-known as a philosopher today because of his popularity with philosophers in the early 19th century.
D. The passage does not discuss Descartes’ thoughts on the relative importance of the two fields.
E. The passage does not give information about the current state of optics as a scientific field.
The correct answer is C
Throughout 16th century Europe, for example, Descartes was well known for his work in physics, geometry, and physiology, and modern scholars still consider him one of the precursors of the scientific revolution. His attempts to use algebra to solve problems of space and motion essentially created the field of analytic geometry, upon which modern applied mathematics is still largely based. Descartes discovered the law of refraction, which explains why straight objects appear bent when immersed partly in water, and was one of the first to theorize that the workings of human bodies can be studied in similar fashion to the workings of machines. Even his “Discourse on Method,” which contained the famous philosophical statement, was intended merely as the framework within which a collection of essays on optics, meteorology, and geometry was to be understood.
It can be inferred from the passage that Descartes came to be known as a philosopher rather than a scientist for which of the following reasons?
A. Because doubt is a very common problem for the modern individual
B. Because more of his philosophical than scientific writings have been preserved
C. Because of his popularity with philosophers since the early 19th century
D. Because he himself considered philosophy to be more important than science
E. Because optics is no longer a significant scientific field
Explanation
This question requires that a logical conclusion be drawn from information stated in the passage. Since the author discusses the misconception that Descartes is a philosopher when he should be known as a scientist, review the passage to discern what reasons the author may give for this.
A. The modern individual is not mentioned in the passage.
B. The passage does not mention which of Descartes’ works have been preserved.
C. Correct. In this line, the author implies that Descartes remains well-known as a philosopher today because of his popularity with philosophers in the early 19th century.
D. The passage does not discuss Descartes’ thoughts on the relative importance of the two fields.
E. The passage does not give information about the current state of optics as a scientific field.
The correct answer is C
03 Aug 2026, 03:10
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Bookmarks
Explanation
This question requires that a logical conclusion be drawn from information stated in the passage. Since the author discusses the misconception that Descartes is a philosopher when he should be known as a scientist, review the passage to discern what reasons the author may give for this.
A. The modern individual is not mentioned in the passage.
B. The passage does not mention which of Descartes’ works have been preserved.
C. Correct. In this line, the author implies that Descartes remains well-known as a philosopher today because of his popularity with philosophers in the early 19th century.
D. The passage does not discuss Descartes’ thoughts on the relative importance of the two fields.
E. The passage does not give information about the current state of optics as a scientific field.
The correct answer is C
This question requires that a logical conclusion be drawn from information stated in the passage. Since the author discusses the misconception that Descartes is a philosopher when he should be known as a scientist, review the passage to discern what reasons the author may give for this.
A. The modern individual is not mentioned in the passage.
B. The passage does not mention which of Descartes’ works have been preserved.
C. Correct. In this line, the author implies that Descartes remains well-known as a philosopher today because of his popularity with philosophers in the early 19th century.
D. The passage does not discuss Descartes’ thoughts on the relative importance of the two fields.
E. The passage does not give information about the current state of optics as a scientific field.
The correct answer is C
