Can anyone explain to me what the Descartes' famous statement, "I am a thinking thing" means?
Please tell me why he would say that and examples.
I have to write about his statement, but I have no ideas what to do.
Please help me....T.T
Thank You.
2006-11-21 12:21:09 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
"I think therefore I am." Descarte was trying to start from what was indesputable, & procede to the less certain aspects of knowledge.
The ability to think was to Descarte proof that we actually existed. Descarte was deeply confused. Thinking is one of many things we DO, as well as breath, act, sense, emote, remember, imagine, or meditate. If we stop thinking, what happens? Nothing except our mind grows quiet & somewhat more peaceful for a while. We still are, thinking or not at all. If we stop breathing, we die. Wikijo would have said " I breath, therefore I am." It would have made more sense.
I hope this helps.
;-)
2006-11-21 16:03:45 · answer #1 · answered by WikiJo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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that famous quote deals with Descartes refutation of radical skepticism (a position sometimes characterized by the movie "the Matrix" in which the thinker thinks it's possible that all her/his senses are being deceived or that reality is totally constructed (like by robots in the film, or a demon in Descartes' thought experiment)). Descartes asks himself if it is possible that he is deceived by is senses. Is it possible that everything around him is an illusion, including his own nature? Surely not, because if he can think, then at least he (the thinking mind) but be real. This leads him to conclude that the fundamental part of him is a thinking, Rational thing, he calls it the Cogito. Since Descartes, many philosophers have challenged him on the grounds that mind/body dualism (a mind or cogito being able to exist without a body) is implausible. I've been studying philosophy a long time- it never stops being confusing- that allows philosophers to argue with each other and stay employed! = ) Hope that helps!
2016-04-07 06:31:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thinking Thing
2016-11-05 03:55:49 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you mean, "I think, therefore I am"?
It's pretty self-evident: being able to consider our very existence is one thing -- maybe the most important? -- that separates us from the animals.
Now think about that, and expand on it.
2006-11-21 12:31:53 · answer #4 · answered by Bryce 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
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2006-11-21 12:34:57 · answer #5 · answered by Robert M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋