"Cogito ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am") is a philosophical proposition by René Descartes, found in his work Meditations on First Philosophy (1641). It suggests that the act of thinking is proof of one's existence. Descartes was searching for something that could not be doubted, and realized that while he could doubt everything around him, he could not doubt the fact that he was doubting—thus, his thinking itself was undeniable proof that he existed. This statement is considered a fundamental element of modern Western philosophy, as it underscores the relationship between thought and existence.

свернуть