Editing Space (section)

=== René Descartes ===
[[René Descartes|Descartes]] set out to replace the Aristotelian worldview with a theory about space and motion as determined by [[natural law]]s. In other words, he sought a [[Metaphysics|metaphysical]] foundation or a [[Mechanics|mechanical]] explanation for his theories about matter and motion. [[Cartesian space]] was [[Euclidean space|Euclidean]] in structure—infinite, uniform and flat.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Time and Space|last=Dainton|first=Barry|publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press|year=2014|pages=164}}</ref> It was defined as that which contained matter; conversely, matter by definition had a spatial extension so that there was no such thing as empty space.<ref name="Huggett-1999" />

The Cartesian notion of space is closely linked to his theories about the nature of the body, mind and matter. He is famously known for his "cogito ergo sum" (I think therefore I am), or the idea that we can only be certain of the fact that we can doubt, and therefore think and therefore exist. His theories belong to the [[Rationalism|rationalist]] tradition, which attributes knowledge about the world to our ability to think rather than to our experiences, as the [[Empiricism|empiricists]] believe.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Descartes: a very short introduction|last=Tom.|first=Sorell|date=2000|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-154036-3|location=Oxford|oclc=428970574}}</ref> He posited a clear distinction between the body and mind, which is referred to as the [[Mind–body dualism|Cartesian dualism]].