Cogito Ergo Sum

QUOTE

René Descartes once said…

“If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.”

(French philosopher.)

CONCEPT

Cogito Ergo Sum

“Cogito ergo sum,” Latin for “I think, therefore I am,” was coined by the 17th-century French philosopher René Descartes.

Descartes asserted that while we could doubt everything, including the reality of the external world, the very act of doubt presupposes a thinking self that exists. In other words, if one is doubting, one exists.

This profound realization became a cornerstone in the study of knowledge, metaphysics, and the philosophy of mind, suggesting that self-awareness is the most immediate and undeniable fact of human experience.

STORY

I Think … Therefore I Am?

In the early 17th century, as Europe was undergoing profound transformation both scientifically and culturally, René Descartes, a brilliant young Frenchman, was grappling with the very nature of knowledge.

The medieval world's certainties, anchored in religious faith and ancient authority, were being questioned. New discoveries in astronomy, like those of Copernicus and Galileo, shook the foundation of the universe's understanding.

Descartes, amid this turmoil, sought a foundation for knowledge that was certain and indubitable.

He decided to begin by doubting everything he believed he knew. What if everything he had learned was a lie? What if his senses, which told him about the world, were deceptive? Even mathematical truths, like 2+2=4, could be doubted. Perhaps an evil demon was manipulating his thoughts, leading him away from truth?

Yet, as Descartes sank deeper into this spiral of doubt, he realized one truth was inescapable: the very act of doubt confirmed his existence.

If he was doubting, he was thinking; if he was thinking, he must exist.

"I think, therefore I am" became his foundational truth, upon which he built his new system of philosophy.

This epiphany wasn't just a philosophical concept but was deeply personal. Descartes had found a refuge of certainty in a rapidly changing world. His radical method of doubt led him to a profound truth about existence and self-awareness, reshaping the philosophical landscape for centuries to come.