Je pense, donc je suis. - René Descartes
This simple, yet powerful maxim is probably one of the most well-known French quotes as well as famous sayings in history. It’s also well known in its Latin translation: “Cogito, ergo sum.” In English, it means “I think, therefore, I am.”
Descartes was a philosopher, scientist, and mathematician who studied in numerous educational institutions and was involved in even more schools of thought. He is credited to have stated the idea in his publication “Discourse on Method” in 1637.
Descartes's statement became a fundamental element of Western philosophy, as it purported to provide a certain foundation for knowledge in the face of radical doubt. While other knowledge could be a figment of imagination, deception, or mistake, Descartes asserted that the very act of doubting one's own existence served—at minimum—as proof of the reality of one's own mind; there must be a thinking entity—in this case the self—for there to be a thought.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cogito,_ergo_sum#
I came across to this phrase a few days back, when looking for a good French prevorb to use somewhere else. It is very interesting indeed, and we must all have that experince in our lives - doubting our own existence, among other things.
I remember when mine started: I was about 6 years old, and one day my mother asked me to go to the food store and buy some soy sauce (the type you bring your own bottle). It was about 10 mins walk and was good distance for a 6 years old. During that walk and holding a good size bottle, all of the sudden, I started to wonder: why am I living in this body, not in some other? So I probably could feel some difference between one's body and one's mind then, although I had no idea of mind concept at all.
That is probably what makes us human, as Maowi the cat doesn't have that thought at all, or does he?
