Essay on Cogito Ergo Sum - 770 Words

I think, therefore I am, the epitome of Rene Descartes logic. Descartes came to the understanding that there was little he actually knew because he felt unclear about some things, besides the subject of mathematics, in which he felt was clear and distinct. For him to truly have knowledge he would have to toss out all prior knowledge and start anew with a better foundation of self. The main foundation of his education was from the senses or through the senses. (D 60) Descartes proves that the senses can not be trusted, therefore they can not be the foundation of his knowledge. The perception of things through our senses can be deceiving. Take his example of the wax for instance. At one point his sensory perception of the wax is†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"I am a thing that thinks, that is to say, a thing that doubts, affirms, denies, understands a few things, refrains from willing, and also imagines and senses. (D 70)† These doubts can be confirmed or denied by us ing rationalism. When thinking about the quote â€Å"I am a thinking thing† it can be said that all humans are a thing, or a body, and can think, or have a mind. Descartes doubts that the mind and the body are directly connected. Leibniz’s Law states that if two things are the same, than they must share all of the same properties. The mind and the body do not share all the same properties, so they must be separate from each other. Descartes asserts that we can know our mind more readily than we can know our body. The body than could be considered an extended object of the mind. Every human in the world has a body. There are no like bodies in the world, every body is different. It is possible that the human body is just a material object that is being controlled by the mind. The mind and the body will always be directly connected in this fashion. The mind is fashioned to mesh with the cultural beliefs of the region, but the main idea is that all minds are equ ipped to think for themselves. On the other hand, David Hume believes that there is no innate idea of self. He likes to rely on impressions and ideas that come from the senses to explain everything. He argues that when something happens to a person it makes an impression. If all of theseShow MoreRelatedDescartes s Cogito Ergo Sum 1488 Words   |  6 PagesDuring Meditations 2, Descartes establishes a version of his famous ‘cogito ergo sum’. He establishes that despite the fact that we may not know the world around us as well as we think we do, we can know the mind better and the trusting the mind can lead him to the seemingly justified conclusion that he exists. Descartes’ method of arriving at the conclusion is by starting from scratch and considering whether there could be any ground of doubt for his beliefs. He was a rational philosopher who gaveRead MoreDescartes Cogito Ergo Sum And Ontological Arguments1833 Words   |  8 PagesDescartes’ cogito ergo sum and ontological arguments both rely on the method of doubt and follow from the premise that essence implies existence. The cogito ergo sum is different from the latter one, however, from the fact that it did not contain the premise regarding the cause and effect of an idea having objective reality. The main problem with this argument is that while essence and existence were said to be inseparable, it does not happen to be the case. First of all, Descartes’ cogito ergo sum restsRead MoreIt seems we all live in this world, but experience it in our own unique ways. We all Share some800 Words   |  4 Pagescompletely dependent on all of the things we perceive with our minds. Things about me could not possibly happen before my existence, and therefore cause my existence. Descartes stipulated the reality of ones own existence when he stated, â€Å"COGITO, ERGO SUM†. He believed we all start with a clean slate by denying the real existence of the world and of oneself in it. Descartes approach assumes that everything is illusory, that both his body and the world around him are not real. I think, thereforeRead MoreDescartes Meditations On First Philosophy1318 Words   |  6 PagesJordan Kriegel Basic Philosophical Questions November 2, 2017 Cogito Ergo Sum Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy and his questioning of our existence in reality is a question which philosophers have tackled throughout time. Cogito ergo sum or I think therefore I am, a phrase brought about by Descartes is the backbone of his whole philosophy of our existence in reality. As long as we are thinking things, we exist. When we look at this approach to our existence we must first deny that any sensoryRead MoreAnalysis Of Rene Descartes s Meditations On First Philosophy 1399 Words   |  6 Pageshimself that nothing is certain or that a god or evil deceiver has implanted these doubts into his mind. This means that if either of these points is true that he must exist. This Argument of ‘I think, therefore I am’ is often called the cogito after the cogito ergo sum. However, Descartes does not refer to his argument in this way and the meditations about discovering thinking and he discovers that of he thinks he must exist. Descartes then performs a thought experiment; The Wax Example. The wax exampleRead MoreEmmanuel Kant, Anthropology from the Pragmatic Point of View (1798)1487 Words   |  6 Pageshaving a syntax. The author is then pointing out that all languages, in other words the tools of communication in order to live in society, think the word â€Å"Je† even if it is not a distinct word. For example, in Latin, â€Å"cogito ergo sum† (=I think so I am). In the Latin word cogito, we can find in English â€Å"I† and â€Å"think † in the same word. â€Å"I† is then implied. We can consequently say that thanks to language, people distinguish them selves from each other in order to debate, protect one’s point of viewRead MoreEssay on Descartes Knowledge1083 Words   |  5 Pages Descartes Knowledge The question of our existence in reality is a question which philosophers have tackled throughout time. This essay will look at the phrase, cogito ergo sum or I think therefore I am, a phrase brought about by Rene Descartes. This phrase is the backbone of Descartes whole philosophy of our existence in reality. As long as we are thinking things, we exist. When we look at this approach to our existence we must first deny that any sensory data that we receive is believable orRead MoreDescartes s Meditations On First Philosophy986 Words   |  4 Pagesmoments of reflection, time spent with one’s thoughts, and time to figure out where one is placed within the world. During one of these meditations, Descartes creates the phrase, â€Å"cogito ergo sum†, I think, therefore I am, in his monumental book, Principles of Philosophy, though it was written in another form earlier, â€Å"ego sum, ego existo†, I am, I exist, in his book Meditations on First Philosophy. This phrase, put so eloquently, means that because Descartes is able to think, because he is able to ponderRead MoreDescartes Mind and Body1480 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieves that what he is thinking in his mind is what God created and instilled in him. Descartes outlines many arguments to support and prove his claims of his discoveries. He states that because he can think, his mind exists. This is known as the Cogito, which is the first existential principal of all of Descartes’ work where modern philosophy begins. Descartes also explains that it is possible that all knowledge of external objects, including his body could be false because of the deceiving actionsRead MoreDescartes Evil Demon Argument1996 Words   |  8 Pageseverything he perceives and believes. He describes a ‘malicious demon of the utmost power and cunning’ that has the sole purpose of deceiving Descartes (Descartes, 2010: 17). I will argue that his hypothesis has proven to be a strong one because only the cogito provides a way for us to frustrate or trick the evil demon. The Evil Demon Hypothesis is an important component of the Method of Doubt. Descartes used the Method of Doubt to find what is true by withholding assent from all beliefs that are dubitable