About Discourse on the Method
What it's about
A young Frenchman leaves school full of doubts, travels the world, and shuts himself in a warm room to find a sure method for thinking. He ends by doubting everything until one thing is left: I think, therefore I am.
Who it's for
Students of science, maths and coding who like clear method, and anyone who has heard 'I think, therefore I am' and wants to see how Descartes got there.
- Level
- CEFR B2
- Length
- 3 parts · about 842 words
- Reading time
- about 7 minutes (~2 min per part)
- Author
- René Descartes
If you liked this, read
Looking for something easier or harder? See Easy English books by level (A1–B2).
Reading Discourse on the Method in English: quick answers
- What English level is Discourse on the Method on SeoJae Story?
- Discourse on the Method by René Descartes is retold in simplified English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate). It is split into 3 short parts, and every sentence has a Korean translation you can show or hide, so a learner at that level can follow the story without a dictionary.
- Is Discourse on the Method hard to read in English?
- The original is written for native readers, with long sentences and older vocabulary, so most learners find it hard. This retelling keeps the story but uses simpler English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate), so if you read English at that level you can follow it, and the Korean translation is there for any line that stops you. If it feels too hard, start with an easier book one level down.
- How long does it take to read Discourse on the Method in simple English?
- About 7 minutes of reading in total — roughly 2 minutes per part across 3 parts. Listening to the audio narration, reviewing the vocabulary and taking each part's comprehension check adds a little more.
- Is this the full, unabridged text of Discourse on the Method?
- No. It is an abridged graded retelling written for English learners that follows the story of the original in 3 parts. Every part also lets you read the matching unabridged chapters from the original, split into short readings.
- Is Discourse on the Method free to read here?
- Yes. All 3 parts are free to read online, with the Korean translation, audio narration, vocabulary flashcards and comprehension questions included.
- Is Discourse on the Method in the public domain?
- Yes. René Descartes's Discourse on the Method is in the public domain, and the original text is freely available from Project Gutenberg (eBook #59). SeoJae Story's simplified retelling and Korean translation are original text written for learners.