The famous line from Descartes is "Cogito ergo sum" which roughly means, "I think, therefore I am." Explain HOW Descartes comes to this conclusion. Be specific. In your explanation, make sure to explain what the "I" is that thinks.
10 comments:
Fahmida Ferdousi
said...
Descartes affirms that he is something because he can't be something without having thoughts (some evil genius of some sort instills these thoughts in). According to him, thoughts are divided into two parts: the content, and whether if it's true or false. The immovable point is that he exists because he thinks, which make him "something" because if something else instills thoughts in him, then he has to be something as well to be able to have thoughts. Therefore he is a mind, a thinking thing.
When Descartes mentions "I" he is not speaking of himself or a specific person, he is talking about a mind in the world. This mind depends on senses to perceive objects, and without senses, he would not be able to identify them.
Descartes comes to the conclusion that if he thinks, he absolutely must exist, because if he did not have the ability to do so, he wouldn't exist. The evil genius has free access to his mind and tries to control his thoughts, so if the evil genius exists, then his thoughts must exist as well. The evil genius makes him think (whether they're true or false thoughts) and when he thinks, he must exist because his thoughts have to exist.
siby i really like how you started off with explaining what the "I" means, it actually is much more easier to understand. Both Siby and I have the same thing, but she explained it better (i feel like I'm discouraging myself...)
Descartes has a famous saying which is "I think, therefore I am." In this quote he is saying that he exists. However, his use of the word "I" doesn't mean himself physically, but mentally. The "I" pretty much represents the mind. Now, the reason for this is because Descartes is not certain that a physical form exists but he is certain that a mind exists. The reason why he says that a mind exists is because a mind is a thinking thing and if thoughts were to exist, then the mind has to exist. So, in conclusion, Descartes says he exists because he thinks, and therefore, he has a mind.
Fahmida, it's interesting that you should say that. I was afraid I was being too confusing with my wording because even as I was writing it I wasn't too sure if it made sense. Thank you!
To come to the conclusion that a person exists because they think and have thoughts or in Latin “cogito ergo sum” by starting with an idea that knowledge is certainty and that anything less can be doubted. Also to that we cannot know anything and then Descartes tries to find one thing which is true and comes to the Latin quote by thinking (as this is a thought experiment not a dialogue hence thinks not states) that even if there is the evil genius that is described in Descartes first meditation is a polar opposite for god. Descartes says that he is all powerful and seeks to device you and that the senses can deceive a person and some subjects are relative to their environment are not true and if a evil genius were to be deceiving us to the extent of not knowing if a triangle has three side or not because of the evil genius putting memories of a triangle not having three side or making the four sided triangle look like it has three sides and we are then deceived. But even if this is true our mind would have to exist to be deceived and as such it no matter the content of the thoughts that those thoughts exist and the think that thinks is “I” and if there is not a single deception that then we exist and are not deceived. And therefore if we think the whether we are deceived or not the thing that is deceived or not exists and is a thinking thing and by this things very existence it shows that there is one thing that is a thing of certainty and therefore a thing that we can know and where there is one there might be more or as sometimes is the case nothing more that is a thing of certainty exist the “I” that is a or the (as is the case if there is a evil genius that deceives all and other beings are not there at all.
All Descartes knows for certain is he is being decieved. He has thoughts, even if they are controlled by an "Evil Genius", whether they are true or false(depends on the "Evil Genius"). So, "I" think, therefore "I" am/ exist. The "I" that thinks is referring to the thinking thing, otherwise known as his mind. The "I" is a "true thing", not a "body", which does not depend on things of whose existance is yet to be known. The "I" is what doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses, imagines and senses.
Descartes starts off trying to find certainty. He concludes that he is certain that he exists, because he is able to have thoughts. Even if the evil genius was deceiving him, he would still have existent thoughts, and would have to exist to be deceived. Descartes then goes on to say that the, "I", or what exists is the mind. We can only be sure that we have thoughts, and the thoughts are certainly from the mind. This builds up to the statement, "cogito ergo sum", meaning that "I" know i exist because i know that i have thoughts, and i know those thoughts are real
Descartes comes to a conclusion which suggests that he exist because he have thoughts. Descartes starts the meditation 2 with the question "what can I know?". He tries to find something that's certain. He concluded that since he is being deceived by the evil genius, then he must exist, even though his thought might not be true, but the thought have to exist in the first place in order for it to be deceived. So he said- "thoughs exist....I am; I exist-this is certain"(27). Now the question became what is the "I" that Descartes is talking about. Descartes explain "I" as a thing that have not only a body, but also a mind, it's a part of what we call the body, but it's function is not affected by our body(our senses)."I" is a thinking thing. -Candy Lin.
Descartes begins his second meditation doubting just about everything. He takes the viewpoint that there is an evil genius decieving him. This leads him to the conclusion "I think, therefore I am" (Cogito ergo sum). The fact is that if someone is simply wondering whether or not they are being decieved or even better exist, is truly enough proof that they indeed do exist. This is because there has to automatically exist an "I" in order for that the thoughts to be there. Although we don't know what this "I" is, something has to be there. It is like a simple mathematical proof!
10 comments:
Descartes affirms that he is something because he can't be something without having thoughts (some evil genius of some sort instills these thoughts in). According to him, thoughts are divided into two parts: the content, and whether if it's true or false. The immovable point is that he exists because he thinks, which make him "something" because if something else instills thoughts in him, then he has to be something as well to be able to have thoughts. Therefore he is a mind, a thinking thing.
When Descartes mentions "I" he is not speaking of himself or a specific person, he is talking about a mind in the world. This mind depends on senses to perceive objects, and without senses, he would not be able to identify them.
Descartes comes to the conclusion that if he thinks, he absolutely must exist, because if he did not have the ability to do so, he wouldn't exist. The evil genius has free access to his mind and tries to control his thoughts, so if the evil genius exists, then his thoughts must exist as well. The evil genius makes him think (whether they're true or false thoughts) and when he thinks, he must exist because his thoughts have to exist.
siby i really like how you started off with explaining what the "I" means, it actually is much more easier to understand. Both Siby and I have the same thing, but she explained it better (i feel like I'm discouraging myself...)
Descartes has a famous saying which is "I think, therefore I am." In this quote he is saying that he exists. However, his use of the word "I" doesn't mean himself physically, but mentally. The "I" pretty much represents the mind. Now, the reason for this is because Descartes is not certain that a physical form exists but he is certain that a mind exists. The reason why he says that a mind exists is because a mind is a thinking thing and if thoughts were to exist, then the mind has to exist. So, in conclusion, Descartes says he exists because he thinks, and therefore, he has a mind.
Fahmida, it's interesting that you should say that. I was afraid I was being too confusing with my wording because even as I was writing it I wasn't too sure if it made sense. Thank you!
To come to the conclusion that a person exists because they think and have thoughts or in Latin “cogito ergo sum” by starting with an idea that knowledge is certainty and that anything less can be doubted. Also to that we cannot know anything and then Descartes tries to find one thing which is true and comes to the Latin quote by thinking (as this is a thought experiment not a dialogue hence thinks not states) that even if there is the evil genius that is described in Descartes first meditation is a polar opposite for god. Descartes says that he is all powerful and seeks to device you and that the senses can deceive a person and some subjects are relative to their environment are not true and if a evil genius were to be deceiving us to the extent of not knowing if a triangle has three side or not because of the evil genius putting memories of a triangle not having three side or making the four sided triangle look like it has three sides and we are then deceived. But even if this is true our mind would have to exist to be deceived and as such it no matter the content of the thoughts that those thoughts exist and the think that thinks is “I” and if there is not a single deception that then we exist and are not deceived. And therefore if we think the whether we are deceived or not the thing that is deceived or not exists and is a thinking thing and by this things very existence it shows that there is one thing that is a thing of certainty and therefore a thing that we can know and where there is one there might be more or as sometimes is the case nothing more that is a thing of certainty exist the “I” that is a or the (as is the case if there is a evil genius that deceives all and other beings are not there at all.
All Descartes knows for certain is he is being decieved. He has thoughts, even if they are controlled by an "Evil Genius", whether they are true or false(depends on the "Evil Genius"). So, "I" think, therefore "I" am/ exist. The "I" that thinks is referring to the thinking thing, otherwise known as his mind. The "I" is a "true thing", not a "body", which does not depend on things of whose existance is yet to be known. The "I" is what doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses, imagines and senses.
Descartes starts off trying to find certainty. He concludes that he is certain that he exists, because he is able to have thoughts. Even if the evil genius was deceiving him, he would still have existent thoughts, and would have to exist to be deceived. Descartes then goes on to say that the, "I", or what exists is the mind. We can only be sure that we have thoughts, and the thoughts are certainly from the mind.
This builds up to the statement, "cogito ergo sum", meaning that "I" know i exist because i know that i have thoughts, and i know those thoughts are real
Descartes comes to a conclusion which suggests that he exist because he have thoughts. Descartes starts the meditation 2 with the question "what can I know?". He tries to find something that's certain. He concluded that since he is being deceived by the evil genius, then he must exist, even though his thought might not be true, but the thought have to exist in the first place in order for it to be deceived. So he said- "thoughs exist....I am; I exist-this is certain"(27).
Now the question became what is the "I" that Descartes is talking about. Descartes explain "I" as a thing that have not only a body, but also a mind, it's a part of what we call the body, but it's function is not affected by our body(our senses)."I" is a thinking thing.
-Candy Lin.
Descartes begins his second meditation doubting just about everything. He takes the viewpoint that there is an evil genius decieving him. This leads him to the conclusion "I think, therefore I am" (Cogito ergo sum). The fact is that if someone is simply wondering whether or not they are being decieved or even better exist, is truly enough proof that they indeed do exist. This is because there has to automatically exist an "I" in order for that the thoughts to be there. Although we don't know what this "I" is, something has to be there. It is like a simple mathematical proof!
Santiljan Vukaj
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