Dedication to Princess Elisabeth
Descartes dedicates the Principles of Philosophy to Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1644 in France
Explore 10 historical events and records for France in 1644.
Historical records for France in 1644
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 10 of 10 unique records.
10Unique records
1 of 1Page
10Named events on this page
4Named people on this page
6Places on this page
July
Principles of Philosophy
Descartes publishes the Principles of Philosophy as a systematic presentation of metaphysics and natural philosophy.
Other events (month unknown)
Battle of Frieburg
Defeats the Imperial army & captures Mainz & Worms
Capture of Mainz
Captures Mainz
Capture of Worms
Captures Worms
Descartes Describes Matter As Extension
The Principles of Philosophy defined the essential attribute of material substance as extension. This doctrine underpinned Cartesian attempts to explain physical phenomena without occult qualities.
Descartes Develops Vortex Account Of Heavens
Descartes presented a cosmology in which circulating matter accounts for celestial movements. Though later displaced, the vortex theory influenced seventeenth century scientific debate.
Disquisitio Metaphysica
Gassendi publishes Disquisitio Metaphysica, extending his criticism of Descartes.
Imperial Army
Defeats the Imperial army & captures Mainz & Worms
Journey to Italy
Mersenne travels in Italy and strengthens the exchange of scientific and philosophical information across Europe.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.