Albert John Lenn Q.

Caser Modern Philosophy

MA-PHILO Lyceum of Aparri

A reflection on “I think therefore I am” Rene Descartes Cogito: a

Path where we can understand what am I meant to be.

Every person born into this world represents something new, something that

never existed before, something original and unique. It is our nature that in any

particular character I, You, We are unique that has never been someone like us in the

universe. My awareness of myself is always with me to a certain extent. Who really am

I? A question that I could answer by just giving my name but my answer would not be

enough. It is there in the background of everything that I do. As I eat, work, talk with

my friends and play I am aware that all of this activities are part of me—my life. This

kind of activities are not the main focus of my life rather something that which I am

unclearly aware of.

Such self-discovery is very important for a person that is why in order for this

vagueness to be understood, in this paper I want to reflect on Descartes Cogito ergo

sum. However, in order for my reflection to be realized, there is a necessity to expose a

simple biography of Descartes life and to expose the meaning of “I think therefore I

am”. In order to enter into a certain experience there is a need for reflecting on and it

then somehow reveals the self.

Descartes is considered by many to be the father of modern philosophy, because

his ideas departed widely from current understanding in the early 17th century, which

was more feeling-based. He believed that in clearing everything we can be certain of

something and to start with new ways to be certain all preconceived and inherited ideas

must be set aside. His most famous quote “I think; therefore I am.” Since then Descartes

believed that all truths were ultimately linked, he sought to uncover the meaning of the

natural world with a rational approach, through science and mathematics. What is so

very new and important about Descartes is his emphasis on the existence of the world

around him. His emphasis on subjectivity, as well as his use of the mathematical

method to prove what otherwise is usually simply taken for granted. 1 Descartes in his

Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy constructs by methodical

doubt a new foundation, an absolute beginning--cogito, ergo, sum-in quest of an

ontological security and an existential assurance. 2 Descartes' starting point of reflection

is a methodical, radical doubt. He acknowledges that knowledge through the senses is

liable to distortion. Descartes, commencing with a methodical doubt, formulates rules

for the discernment of truth and the advancement of knowledge: clarity and

distinctness, analysis and order. The ideal of rationality is a geometrical and

mathematical configuration. Descartes indeed grounds a new beginning to the project

of pure inquiry of the mind for the truth, a new conception of reason, and the project of

the realization of the good, the possible perfectibility of human being. It is an

affirmation, a fundamental celebration of the potential of the human spirit-a profound

self assertion. He constitutes the perception of clear and distinct ideas as the criterion

for truth. Among the ideas that first come to him and immediately satisfy this necessary

condition of veracity is the idea of God as a supremely perfect being.

1
Higgins Kathleen M: A Short History of Philosophy, (New York., 1996), .p175.
2
Albano Peter J: Philosophy today; The Cogito, Human Self-assertion and the Modern World, (Pro Quest
LLC,2000), .p184.
 Descartes was inspired to write “I think therefore I am” the reason is he made

use of it as a first step in demonstrating how to arrive at certain knowledge. It is the

only statement to survive the test of his methodic doubt. Descartes argued that the only

thing that he cannot doubt is he is thinking in which whatever thinks exist.

The statement “I am” or “sum” expresses a straight forward insight. 3 It is not a

conclusion of reasoning. This straight forward insight is unquestionable. Descartes

suggested that the cogito is indeed the conclusion of syllogism —a kind of logical

argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or

more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true—that is when he is thinking

consequently whatever thinks must exist.

The statement “I think therefore I am” can be understood with putting yourself

into Descartes place. Descartes started off trying to figure what he can know with

certainty. He examined a large body of knowledge and figure out that he cannot be

certain of any knowledge at all. Beginning in Meditation Two, Descartes searches for

something that must be true no matter what. This led to the conclusion that he does in

face exist if he can still think. Consequently, the Cogito cannot be doubted.

A thing that thinks is “a thing that doubts, understand, affirms, denies, wills,

refuse and that also imagine and senses”. Even if it is not really possible that the mind

and body lead separate existences it is logically consistent with that the mind is—

thinking thing—that exists without any extended body and even without the specific

3
https://www.britannica.com/topic/cogito-ergo-sum
body that belongs to a person.4 Descartes argues that thinking or sensing has nothing

perceive as the physical body. He characterized thinking as a thing that exists.

There is a clear separation between the mind and the body. If the body exists, it

does not mean the “I” exist. The mind is something that is thinking, indivisible and

non-extended while the body is something that is non-thinking, divisible and extended.

He believes in the standard of perfection, which must be separated from his mind

because of the imperfection in his thinking.5

As a thinking thing, man has many actualizing potentials. Some we come to

appreciate or value more than others. The more we can appreciate all actualizing

aspects of ourselves the more fully actualizing we become. One cannot reveal himself

when he disvalues himself or disown and treat the other thinking thing outside of him

the more the self is put to shadow. When we think that a person’s attitude is displeasing

we cement it in our mind that he is really is bad and can never change anymore.

In order for the self not to be vague one must appreciate the “I” as a thinking

thing and others as well and not to control them to the point where you can already

manipulate them. Seeing the self as a thinking thing that has worth is revealing the real

thinking thing. When one recognizes that what is he thinking is worthwhile for the self

then it will lead to revealing the self as a Cogito—a thinking thing—that exists with a

worth.

Another way of revealing one’s self is to ask the question: What am I meant to

be? In life we do many things to satisfy our own personal needs. It is only when I look

4
Almog Joseph, What am I? Descartes and the Body problem, (Oxford University Press, 2003), .p3.
5
.p59.
beyond myself and my own personal needs and find “something” to live for that the

possibility of selfhood is opened up in which When I live for something I can be

someone up until I found out what I was meant to be. A self , that has something to

reach upon, something to act upon, something to think upon and will eventually

something to be called upon. Reaching out can be understood as thinking or I might say

thinking out. In order to achieve something one must think-out that guide the self in

clearing out its vagueness. I will characterize think-out same also with setting up you

goals.

Thus, in our attempt to achieve something we must think-out. Our efforts will

then guide someone to attain our goals in life. The main ingredient of sense of self is a

realization of one’s own importance.6 These goals that I have set in my life define my

existence. If I seek success I become one type of a person that thinks—out.

Consequently if I think—out further and I seek God along the way I might become

another type of a person. I give importance to things in my life—which I am certain of—

which are education, family, country, justice and loyalty. I live as someone who always

think-out for their values. That’s why; these concerns truly make up who I am.

When I ask myself, what am I meant to be? Reveal my concerns to those things

that I value the most and it keeps me on track with my goals in life. To put some weight

on my discussion, all other things that I do in life such as eating, sleeping and playing

are just things that I do and not what I was meant to be. It does not reveal who really I

am. Thus, in think-out for our real and certain concerns in life is a path to understand

who truly I am and what I was meant to be for I am more than my name—I am
6
Moga Micheal D. SJ, What makes man truly Human; a philosophy of man and society,(Snt Pauls, 1995), .p113.
someone that is meant for something—something that is behind my name—an another

self that stands behind my name.