mercantilism, economic theory and practice common in Europe from the 16th to the 18th century that promoted governmental regulation of a nation's economy for the purpose of augmenting state power at the expense of rival national powers. It was the economic counterpart of political absolutism.
Rene Decartes was a French philosopher born in 1596 a time when many long held benefits where changing. His new way of thinking led him to decide to doubt everything until he could prove it. His goal was to achieve certainity through methodical and logical questioning.
