Define Cogito ergo sum.
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"Cogito, ergo sum" is a Latin philosophical proposition famously coined by RenΓ© Descartes. Translated as "I think, therefore I am," it encapsulates a fundamental assertion in Cartesian philosophy. Descartes introduced this statement in his work "Meditations on First Philosophy" as a foundational element in his search for indubitable knowledge.
The phrase expresses a core epistemological principle: the certainty of one's own existence as a thinking being. Descartes employed radical doubt to challenge all his beliefs, seeking an indubitable foundation for knowledge. Through this process, he recognized that even the act of doubt required a thinking subject, leading to the conclusion that the very act of thinking served as proof of one's existence.
"Cogito, ergo sum" thus represents a point of certainty in Descartes' skeptical inquiry, establishing the existence of a conscious, thinking self as an undeniable truth. This proposition has had a profound impact on Western philosophy, influencing subsequent thinkers and becoming a foundational concept in discussions about self-awareness, consciousness, and the nature of reality.