descartes..help!

Perhaps your assignment refers to Cogito, ergo sum, which is to say: Je pense, ensuite je suis., or, in English: I think, therefore i am.

Your question is too vague for a more thorough answer, and as we do not sit in your classroom or lecture hall, you'll need to provide more background.

I think, therefore i am. I find, I am, therefore I think more fitting.

thats what i thought, thanks.

it means, more or less, i know i exist because i can think

Or alternatively, what does it mean if one doesn't think? Say, someone in a long-termvegetative state? What might Descartes have to say about that?

Food for thought, maybe...

René Descartes was first and foremost a mathematician, and a particular student of geometry. Therefore, he dealt in proofs, and in the case of geometry, physically demonstrable proofs. So to begin his exploration of philosophical concepts, he felt that he must reject all prior assertions, and review all the assertions one by one for demonstrable proofs. He started at the very beginning with finding a proof for his own existence before he could examine the proof of the existence of anything or anyone else.

His proof was cogito ergo sum: "I think, therefore i am." Which is to say, to the extent that he questioned reality, he must possess reality in his own person to be capable of the exercise.

I understand Descarte's "I think therefore I am" to mean my thoughts, whatever I think about, hold in my mind, will become my reality. Thoughts in mind produce after their kind, so, keep a positive attitude. That, is truth.

René Descartes is usually grouped among those philosophers who we call 'idealists,' i.e. those who believe that the world is of the nature of 'idea' rather than concrete reality. He starts with the premise that our supposed knowledge has to be examined, that in looking at the world around us we have to start with a blank slate. So, assuming that we know nothing, what can we infer? Well, I can infer that I, at least, exist, am real. How do I know this? Because I can think. Therefore I must be real. I don't know anything else yet. Everything else might be just in my imagination. That is Descarte's starting point, the realization that he, at least, exists and must now examine the existence or non-existence of everything else that he senses.

If you really wanna impress your prof (or teacher) with your fine knowledge of idealism, you might also quote Schopenhauer, another idealist philosopher, whose most famous treatise starts with the words "Das Welt ist meine Forstellung." ("The world is my representation [or 'idea'].")

[Edited once for a stupid misuse of a German noun.]

This looks aweful familiar.

I link all of my Intro Students to A2K to expose them to Philosophical Discussion.

I also assign them journals where I ask them several questions to guide thier reading.

One of them is to describe Descartes version of truth (The cogito plus his methodology)

If this is one of my students - you may be in for a raukus time with this bunch. Buckle up -

Everything I have seen thusfar on this thread is explaining better than I can...

Good luck.

TTF

p.s. If I am off base - simply ignore this message as an odd coincidence.

Great question. Where does thinking start - and simply having enough mental capacity to exist end?

I have often wondered if the severely mentally impared are not thinking beings to Descartes and thus his Cogito proof does not work for them.

TTF

Sadie......dont cry dry your eye!!
hey sadie, where were you in class? prof reed discussed descartes and his version of truth on monday when you werent there. if you need more help on the review sheet, we are all meeting before the test this week. see ya later..peace By the way I forgive you since your one HOTTY!!!!!Gansta Rob:lol: