Cartesian

American  

[kahr-tee-zhuhn] / kɑrˈti ʒən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Descartes, his mathematical methods, or his philosophy, especially with regard to its emphasis on logical analysis and its mechanistic interpretation of physical nature.

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noun

1. a follower of Cartesian thought.

Cartesian British  

/ kɑːˈtiːzɪən, -ʒjən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the works of René Descartes

2. of, relating to, or used in Descartes' mathematical system

   Cartesian coordinates

3. of, relating to, or derived from Descartes' philosophy, esp his contentions that personal identity consists in the continued existence of a unique mind and that the mind and body are connected causally See also dualism

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noun

1. a follower of the teachings and methods of Descartes

Other Word Forms

• Cartesianism noun
• post-Cartesian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Cartesian

1650–60; < New Latin Cartesiānus, equivalent to Cartesi ( us ) (Latinization of Descartes ) + -ānus -an

Example Sentences

A sense of French Cartesian order thrums through the house.

From New York Times

“I’m very Cartesian. I like to break down a recipe and show how it is done,” he says.

From Washington Post

Like Pythagoras, Descartes was a mathematician-philosopher; perhaps his most lasting legacy was a mathematical invention—what we now call Cartesian coordinates.

From Literature

I didn’t want to live in a place submitting to the Cartesian anxiety that the mind and the body are disconnected.

From Los Angeles Times

Today, within society and the sciences, these Cartesian views are rarely tolerated.

From Scientific American