Original: René Descartes ( ) , ( 31 March 1596 -- 11 February 1650 ) , also known as Renatus Cartesius ( Latinized form ) , was a French philosopher , mathematician , scientist , and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic .
Simplified: René Descartes ( March 31 , 1596 -- February 11 , 1650 ) was a famous French philosopher and physicist .