Essay on Descartes
Content
Student AS
February 25th, 2015
PHI 206
Word count: 411
Essay #1 – Descartes’ Cogito
The foundation Rene Descartes builds upon in his Meditations on First Philosophy is the
idea that, for various reasons, people cannot be certain of the beliefs they have held their entire
lives. He recognizes that it is perhaps impossible to be sure anything is completely certain.
However, through much contemplation, Descartes arrives at the idea that “I am, I exist – his
Archimedean point, the cogito (Descartes, 25). Through his reasoning, it is clear that the cogito
is, in fact, indubitable.
One argument that could be made in an attempt to refute the cogito is that Descartes’
statement “I think, therefore I am” implies that if people stop thinking, they stop existing, which
would be unreasonable. However, we must understand what Descartes is referring to when he
makes this relation between thinking and being. He specifies that in the case of the cogito,
thinking refers to a very broad array of things, ranging from more critical thinking such as
doubting or willing to things we may not always be as aware of, such as simply sensing things
(Descartes, 28). No matter how blank our mind may feel at a specific time, it is evident that it is
impossible to simply cease thinking altogether, making this argument trivial.
Another argument made against the cogito says that we can say “I walk, therefore I am”
by the same token as we can say “I think, therefore I am.” However, this is certainly not so.
There could be a situation in which a person thinks they are walking, but the walking is actually
nothing more than some sort of sensory illusion. In other words, it is not possible to be
completely certain that we are ever actually walking. However, it is unquestionably impossible to
be unsure that we are thinking. To doubt that we are thinking would mean we are thinking, since
doubt is a thought process in itself. “I walk, therefore I am” is clearly a false statement, while
the cogito continues to be irrefutable.
It is tempting to try to come up with ways why Descartes’ cogito is not necessarily true.
However, any argument attempting to disprove it seems to fall short. Because thinking refers to
such a wide range of things, we cannot cease every form of thought simultaneously. Moreover,
while we can doubt we are doing almost anything, such as walking, it is impossible to ever doubt
you are thinking. The cogito holds in every possible case, making it undoubtedly indubitable.
Works Cited
René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, trans. Donald Cress (Indianapolis/Cambridge:
Hackett Publishing Company, 1993).
February 25th, 2015
PHI 206
Word count: 411
Essay #1 – Descartes’ Cogito
The foundation Rene Descartes builds upon in his Meditations on First Philosophy is the
idea that, for various reasons, people cannot be certain of the beliefs they have held their entire
lives. He recognizes that it is perhaps impossible to be sure anything is completely certain.
However, through much contemplation, Descartes arrives at the idea that “I am, I exist – his
Archimedean point, the cogito (Descartes, 25). Through his reasoning, it is clear that the cogito
is, in fact, indubitable.
One argument that could be made in an attempt to refute the cogito is that Descartes’
statement “I think, therefore I am” implies that if people stop thinking, they stop existing, which
would be unreasonable. However, we must understand what Descartes is referring to when he
makes this relation between thinking and being. He specifies that in the case of the cogito,
thinking refers to a very broad array of things, ranging from more critical thinking such as
doubting or willing to things we may not always be as aware of, such as simply sensing things
(Descartes, 28). No matter how blank our mind may feel at a specific time, it is evident that it is
impossible to simply cease thinking altogether, making this argument trivial.
Another argument made against the cogito says that we can say “I walk, therefore I am”
by the same token as we can say “I think, therefore I am.” However, this is certainly not so.
There could be a situation in which a person thinks they are walking, but the walking is actually
nothing more than some sort of sensory illusion. In other words, it is not possible to be
completely certain that we are ever actually walking. However, it is unquestionably impossible to
be unsure that we are thinking. To doubt that we are thinking would mean we are thinking, since
doubt is a thought process in itself. “I walk, therefore I am” is clearly a false statement, while
the cogito continues to be irrefutable.
It is tempting to try to come up with ways why Descartes’ cogito is not necessarily true.
However, any argument attempting to disprove it seems to fall short. Because thinking refers to
such a wide range of things, we cannot cease every form of thought simultaneously. Moreover,
while we can doubt we are doing almost anything, such as walking, it is impossible to ever doubt
you are thinking. The cogito holds in every possible case, making it undoubtedly indubitable.
Works Cited
René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy, trans. Donald Cress (Indianapolis/Cambridge:
Hackett Publishing Company, 1993).
