“I Think, Therefore, I am” EXPLAINED | Rene Descartes Meditations and Discourse on Method

 

8,669 views Premiered Jul 3, 2022 #philosophy #descartes #cogito

The philosopher Rene Descartes is responsible for the popular saying “I think, therefore I am”. But what is the significance of this quote? To answer this question, we need to turn our attention towards two of his works, the Meditations on First Philosophy and his Discourse on Method.

• In the Meditations, Descartes is searching for a belief which he can be certain in. He’s looking for a foundation to build off of which isn’t tainted by doubt.
• To do this, he critically analyzes many beliefs we hold and finds room for doubt in them. Eventually he comes across one belief he cannot doubt, that he thinks. Because he thinks, there must be a subject to do that thinking, therefore, he exists.
• To find the specific phrase, “I think, therefore I am,” we need to look at part four of the Discourse on Method.

To find the specific phrase, “I think, therefore I am,” we need to look at part four of the Discourse on Method. #philosophy #descartes #cogito Instagram: philosophytoonsyt kofi: https://ko-fi.com/philosophytoons

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