taken from: descartes' 1637 work 'discourse de la methode' ('discourse on method', chapter 3). you can read this text online: click here. the formulation of the quote in the sleeve of lifeblood was used by jean-paul sartre in his 1946 paris lecture 'l' existentialisme est un humanisme' ('Existentialism is a Humanism'), a response to (mainly marxist and christian) critics of existentialism. you can read this text online: click here.original text:descartes' text:'[...] My third maxim was to endeavour always to conquer myself rather than fortune, and to change my desires rather than the order of the world, and in general to bring myself to believe that there is nothing wholly in our power except our thoughts. And I believe that herein lay the secret of those philosophers who, in the days of old, could withdraw from the domination of fortune and, despite pain and poverty, challenge the felicity of their gods. [...]'sartre's text:'[...] As for "despair", it merely means that we limit ourselves to a reliance upon that which is within our wills, or within the sum of the probabilities which renders our actions feasible. If I am counting on the visit of a friend, I presuppose that their train will be on time. One does not rely on possibilities beyond those concerned in one's action. Descartes said "Conquer yourself rather than the world" and meant the same - that we should act without hope. [...]'about the quoted person:French scientist, mathematician and one of the most important Western philosophers of the past few centuries. descartes was arguably the first major philosopher in the modern era to make a serious effort to defeat skepticism. His views about knowledge and certainty, as well as his views about the relationship between mind and body have been very influential over the last three centuries. he tried to develop a mathematically-based scientific knowledge of the material world. Throughout the 17th and 18th Centuries, Descartes' thoughts were always present: Locke, Hume, Leibniz and Kant felt compelled to philosophical engage with descartes. For these reasons, he is often called the father of modern philosophy.descartes was a rationalist and set forth a number of philosophical trends. he wished to discover truths where there could be no doubt and believed in a dualism of mind and body. This allowed him to uncover the only truth he could not deny: "I think, therefore I exist." Descartes argues that there is one thing that is absolutely certain: I cannot doubt the existence of the self that has these doubts. Thus, for Descartes, "I think, therefore I am" is the fundamental axiom from which all philosophy must begin. The "I" that thinks is defined simply as a thinking thing, and from this, it follows that the essential nature of the self is the mind, as distinct from the body.

Descartes believed we have direct and immediate contact with our own ideas. Whatever we see we bring back to our minds. Our eyes and other senses distort the truth and can deceive us. We must use both the mind and the senses, we must observe nature and analyze what we see.

Descartes had a clear distinct picture of God, which he couldn't and didn't want to doubt. he believed a lack in belief in God would hinder the process of discovering truths that cannot be doubted.

Descartes was a product of the church and his philosophy reflected the times in which he lived. As a dualist, Descartes claimed that a priori truths exist (truths not derived from experience; truths such as the existence of God). And, while Descartes accepted some ideas were developed from experience, he was steadfast in his belief that certain ideas were innate. All that was necessary, for Descartes, was intense self examination and intense reason.

The two major works of Descartes are 'Discourse on Method' (1637) and 'Principles of Philosophy' (1644).nicky wire said about this quote: "Conquer yourself, not the world, That's where we are now. Twelve years ago we'd have said, conquer the world and fuck yourself."