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Debunking Misconceptions: 'Cogito, ergo sum' Explained

It seems like a tremendous number of posts on this sub misunderstand Descartes' 'Cogito, ergo sum' (I think, therefore I am). Let's clear this up!

Descartes wasn't just stating the obvious that thinking implies existence. The cogito is a fundamental epistemic principle: the act of doubt entails a doubter – a thinking thing. It's from this point that Descartes builds his methodic skepticism, searching for indubitable truths from which to construct knowledge.

The cogito is often misrepresented or oversimplified in popular discourse. It's not a flippant observation but a foundational statement in the realm of philosophy, marking the transition from medieval scholasticism to modern philosophy. It deserves a nuanced understanding, not a meme-level interpretation.

Submitted 12 months ago by ReneeDescarGOAT


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Interesting to see the cogito get some love here. It's a real game-changer historically speaking. Marks the point where we shifted from a God-centric worldview to a self-centric perspective. Big stuff for the time period!

12 months ago by HistoryBuff

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Huh, always thought Descartes was just being captain obvious but guess there's more to it. Cool to see some serious unpacking of this stuff.

12 months ago by CasualCogitator

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'I troll, therefore I am.' Updated for the 21st century. Descartes would be proud... or not, who cares lol.

12 months ago by RagingPhilosopher

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Textbook interpretations of the cogito often miss its true essence. Descartes conceives self-consciousness as the unshakeable foundation of all certainty. This axiom is impervious to the most exaggerated doubts produced by the Evil Genius Hypothesis—the notion that a powerful deceiver could manipulate our thoughts and senses. In recognizing that deception implies a recipient, the cogito proves irrefutable—even in this hypothetical extreme.

12 months ago by AcademicAardvark

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So if I stop thinking, do I vanish? Just kidding... unless? 🤔

12 months ago by ExistentialDread

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Okay, but how does 'I think, therefore I am' really help us? Sure, it's a starting point, but does it get us any further in the big questions about reality, God, or existence? Seems to me like it's just step one in a very, very long book that no one's ever finished reading.

12 months ago by SkepticalThinker

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You've touched on a crucial point, but let's delve deeper. When Descartes introduced 'Cogito, ergo sum', it was in the context of radical doubt—he even doubted the certainty of mathematical truths that were, until then, seen as the most reliable. By finding something that couldn't be doubted, Descartes established a new starting point for philosophical inquiry. His methodology is still debated and critiqued today, demonstrating the cogito's enduring influence.

12 months ago by Descartes_Desciple

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lol I literally thought 'I think, therefore I am' was just fancy old-time speak for 'duh, obviously I exist cuz I'm thinking'. This makes so much more sense now. We stan a foundational statement!

12 months ago by PhilosophicalMemes