Research On Application And Development Of Descartes’Mathematical Methodology

As the founder of modern philosophy, Descartes created a set of rational methodology, formed relatively more complete scientific methodology, and used the methodology to set up his own philosophical system.In his early thought, Descartes chose to combine the mathematical method of "quantity","order" and "rationality" as the method of his model. The establishment of a set of "general mathematics" as the guiding principle, together with the spiritual intuition and rational deduction as the core, and the analysis and synthesis as the steps of the unique mathematical methodology, and to apply it to the concrete mathematics, he established the analytic geometry and opened the new era in the history of mathematics. In metaphysics times, for the doubt that whether "spiritual intuition" can provide certainty, Descartes invented the method of universal skepticism. Through the "exaggerated doubt", we receive this starting point,"I think", which ends the whole doubtful program; the starting point is equivalent to the supporting point of a mathematical proof--axiom. Then, in order to carry out rational understanding, Descartes made mind and body in separation and opposition, and proved in the way of noumenon that mind and body are two different entities, forming a psychosomatic dualism which works as the foundation of his philosophy building.In conclusion, this article argues that Descartes’ mathematical methodology is the foundation and starting point of Descartes’ philosophy methodology; the philosophy methodology is to perfect and develop the mathematical methodology; and the mathematical methodology is the achieving means of his philosophy methodology. Finally, Descartes’ methodology system is a complete philosophy methodology system which can be generalized to general skepticism as a starting point, to psychosomatic dualism as the basic principle, and to a mathematical method as the achieving means.