Who Was Alive

Were Thomas Hobbes and René Descartes alive at the same time?

Yes. Thomas Hobbes and René Descartes were alive at the same time for 53 years, from 1596 to 1650.

Thomas Hobbes was 7 when René Descartes was born.

Thomas Hobbes was 61 when René Descartes died, aged 53.

Thomas Hobbes

English philosopher

Born 5 April 1588 · died 4 December 1679, aged 91

René Descartes

French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist

Born 31 March 1596 · died 11 February 1650, aged 53

  1. Miguel de Cervantes
  2. Galileo Galilei
  3. William Shakespeare
  4. Thomas Hobbes
  5. René Descartes
  6. Molière
  7. Isaac Newton
Thomas Hobbes and René Descartes in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.