By Tahila Oloruntoba
Have you ever come across the Latin philosophical phrase “Cogito, ergo sum”? Well, it was first conceived by the French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician named René Descartes.
René Descartes was born on the 31st of March 1596 in Descartes, France, and died on the 11th of February 1650 in Stockholm, Sweden. He is regarded as the father of modern philosophy, including epistemology, and considered a precursor to the rationalist school of thought. “Cogito, ergo sum”—”I””think therefore I”am”—is a Latin philosophical phrase first written in its French translation “Je pense, donc je suis” by René Descartes in his 1637 Discourse on the Method. The question is, what does this phrase mean? It simply means that we should trust that we exist.
Descartes believes that by having the virtue of the ability to think, we can also exist. After thorough thinking, he reasoned that the only truth he could know for sure is that he exists because if he did not, he wouldn’t be able to think. You might get a bit confused, but think of it like this: You are sitting in a room; you might be asleep or awake, but one thing is certain—you exist.
To strengthen the argument for the existence of a physical self, we must consider the role of perception. Perception involves the interaction of the mind with the external world. Through our senses, we experience sensations like sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. These perceptions provide evidence that we exist not only as thinking beings but also as beings that interact with physical reality. Descartes’ “Cogito, ergo sum” provides a compelling starting point for understanding the nature of existence. His principle states that the basis for existence is thought. By merely thinking, we are proving our existence.
Tahila is of Blooming Heritage Secondary School, Abuja
