Descartes : Mathematics and Sacredness of Infinity

Abstract

According to Descartes, infinity is the essence of God, and as such, it is a sacred property not to be ascribed by any science, in particular, by mathematics, to any object. This sacred position of infinity was the main reason for which Descartes avoided using infinity in mathematics, although he showed his skillfulness in this direction by tackling, for instance, the de Beaune problem. However, the knowledge of the infinite is a foundation of any other knowledge as very, which is phrased in the so-called Descartes' principle.