I think therefore I am?

Question

what do you think of this statement? agree? disagree? reason?

Answer 1

A bit too positivist for my taste. The whole idea of building certainty has something profoundly counter-cultural to it. It is an attempt by modern philosophers to kill all manners of esoterism. The instinct behind it is profoundly democratic, but also reductionist. If we are only allowed objective thought, there can be no distinctions between degree of thought. The higher spheres of human sensiblity become taboo and eventually cease to be part of discourse.

Nietzschen objection: How do you know the "I" in "I think" is the same "I" as the "I" that says "I am"? This presupposes a substance which does the thinking, Descartes "I am that thing that thinks. Nietzche points out this assumption is absolutely illegitimate from the simple observation of the existence of thought. He considers it a Christian prejudice - something reminiscent of the idea of the soul.

A Buddhist would say something similar. Only by attaching to this idea of "I" through time do you come to such a conclusion. You attach to an ego and you appropriate the thought you associate wih it. You could simply say: That thought was.

Similiarily, constructionists would posit that Descarte's Ego is a conclusion from observation of different thoughts. That this Ego exists as something independant from those thoughts is somewhat arbitrary. Constructionists would be more willing to admit to the legitimacy of such a process of thought, however, so long as we recogize we are conceiving of that self and that that too, is a concept.

Answer 2

This was a famous statement made by the French mathematician Renee' DesCartes.

The very fact that we are thinking, mean that we exist. I find it quite thought-provoking and interesting. The one thing that sets us apart from every living thing on earth is that we are able to speak, to reason.... to think.

Answer 3

When understood in context it makes sense; when quoted (as it often is) out of context it makes little sense. And let's just remember that it was a thought experiment of Descartes from which this comes. After deciding what he could believe without contradiction he then went on to suppose that everything existed because of God - giving Berkley much to build on.

Answer 4

Well, I think Socrates was an amazing thinker, and I don't think it's a question of agreement or disagreement, Socrates just found a way to prove that he exists. The principle of objective reality made many people, especially thinkers such as himself, question existence, and he found an idea that gave him, and many others to this day, the answer.

"I think therefore I am" is one of the bases of existentialism, a fact which may lead to questioning of the phrase's value and deeming it pessimistic. But the majority of the other numerous theories of life don't deny this, as it is very hard, if not impossible, to deny. They just build upon it, saying that thinking isn't the only thing that verifies existence, and that higher powers gave them existence as well as purpose (in most cases).

In conclusion, you think, therefore you are, and no one can take that from you, though they can add divine purpose if one chooses to believe in it.

Hope this helps.
-Christian

Answer 5

It is a very basic statement of epistemology, the philosophy of trying to figure out how we know what we know. Descartes was agonizing about how he could even say that he existed. How could he prove the unproveable idea of his own existance? He finally decided that the very fact of his wrestling with this problem was proof of his existance.

Can you see your soul? Can you feel it? Can you touch the face of God? Is the proof in our own asking, seeking, and thinking? Yes, I think the argument is compelling to a point, because our thought is something that exists outside of empirical proof. We kind of take it on faith, if you will.

Answer 6

This statement , when it was made and adopted by the world , it has been the greatest disservice to humans ever made , because one is NOT what one thinks , the thinking ability is the mechanical product of our brains , the brain is a tool to our service just as is our hands , sure the brain controls all aspect of our human body and obeys as one wishes to , We are grater than our thinking , much more intelligent than our brain is , we just have lost the ability to recognize our powers and have allowed our brains to take over us , with practice and discipline one can attain the ability to over ride the brains thinking.

Answer 7

Renee Descartes. Cogito, ergo sum. That is, ol' Descartes decided he could prove, at least to himself, that he existed because there he was, thinking. Worked for him.

Answer 8

I drink therefore I am.

Answer 9

It should read "I think therefore I am alone".

Answer 10

I don't think therefore I'm not.