# René Descartes — Beyond Good and Evil character guide

> René Descartes in Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Descartes

**First appearance:** 0002-i-prejudices-of-philosophers

## Who they are

French philosopher, foundational figure in modern philosophy.

## In the story

### [III: The Religious Mood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/beyond_good_and_evil_se/chapters/iii-the-religious-mood)

Identified as the turning point after which modern philosophy made an 'attentat' on the old conception of the soul, secretly anti-Christian.

### [54](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/beyond_good_and_evil_se/chapters/54)

Identified as the starting point from which modern philosophy, in defiance of his procedure, launches its attack on the old soul-concept.

### [191](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/beyond_good_and_evil_se/chapters/191)

Identified as the father of rationalism and an exception who recognized only the authority of reason, though he is criticized as superficial for viewing reason as merely a tool.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/beyond_good_and_evil_se/characters/descartes
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/beyond_good_and_evil_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/beyond_good_and_evil_se/characters