In 1616, after studying law at Poitiers in his native France, René Descartes began to travel, hoping to discover the knowledge contained 'in the great book of the world.' In Holland, he met Isaac Beckman, who stimulated Descartes' interests in mathematics and physics. Descartes then enlisted in the army. On November 10, 1619, stranded in a winter storm alone in a room, Descartes began to doubt all his beliefs. That night he had three dreams that he felt were divine indications of his philosophical mission to discover the unity of the sciences. During the 1620s, Descartes continued traveling in Germany, Holland, France, and Italy. In 1629, he decided to settle in Holland, where he experimented in optics and physiology, and visited universities to talk to mathematicians and doctors. By
1633, he had completed a work called The World, which explained 'all of physics' and included topics such as heat, light, astronomy, and human physiology. Descartes withdrew the book when he heard of Galileo's condemnation by the Church. In 1637, he published the Discourse on the Method for Conducting One's Reason Rightly. Between 1638 and 1640, Descartes lived with his former servant, Hélène, who had borne him a daughter, Francine. The child died suddenly in 1640. In 1641, his main work, the Meditations on First Philosophy, was published with six sets of objections and his replies. Two years later, he began his celebrated correspondence with Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia. In 1644, he dedicated the
Principles of Philosophy to Princess Elizabeth, and his last work, The Passion of the Soul, was inspired by his discussions with her. In 1649, he left for Sweden to act as tutor to Queen Christina. A few months later, he caught pneumonia and died.
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