This work investigates the foundational contributions of René Descartes to modern philosophy and the specific methodological shifts he introduced to the study of human knowledge. Tom Sorell, a scholar of early modern philosophy, examines the intellectual environment of the seventeenth century to contextualize Descartes' departure from Scholasticism. The text analyzes the development of the Cartesian method, focusing on how the pursuit of certainty through radical doubt redefined the relationship between the mind and the physical world.

Scholars and students frequently cite this volume as a concise and accessible introduction to the core tenets of Cartesian philosophy. It is widely regarded as a reliable entry point for those seeking to understand the historical significance of Descartes' rationalist framework.