René Descartes was born on March 31, 1596 in La Haye France, in the region of Touraine. He was the son of Joachim and Jeanne Descartes. His father was a member of minor nobility and served in the Parliament of Brittany. A year after his birth his mother died, and although his father remarried, their maternal grandmother and a nurse raised Descartes and his older brother and sister. In 1604 René entered La Fleche College at the age of eight. The king established this school, which was a Jesuit college that was for the young nobility. (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 1998). At this school he studied a variety of subjects and did extremely well in Mathematics. While in school his health was poor and he was granted permission to remain in bed until 11am, which was a routine he maintained until his death. (O'Connor/Robertson, 1997). Descartes stayed at this school for eight-years...