Simplifying a Complex Idea

I do agree with Descartes statement because I also believe that a complex idea cannot be defined if its simpler components are not studied. Two areas of knowledge that support this belief are Psychology and History.

http://dianaruntu.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/phineas-gage.jpg

This is a picture of Phineas Gage, a man who, the last years of his life, was unable to control his emotions. If one were to see a man like him in the streets, one would conclude that he was crazy. However would not ask why he was crazy. In order to understand a complex state of a mad man, one must look at the simple factors that contributed to his change. By seeing that he was involved in an accident in which a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain's left frontal lobe, one can observe the effects on his personality and behavior.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage

http://www.pccua.edu/keough/Wc%202/-French-Revolution-Delacroix.jpg

In history we learn how in 1792 the monarchy of France was forever destroyed. One can immediately conclude that the French people were upset with the king, but one must simplify the reasons he was hated. France in that time was faced with economic difficulties, mostly concerning taxation. Louis XVI, his ministers, and the far-flung French nobility had become immensely unpopular. This was a product of the fact that peasants and, the bourgeoisie, were burdened with high taxes in order to support wealthy aristocrats and their rich, lifestyles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_the_French_Revolution