"I think, therefore I am" (Cogito, ergo sum) is a philosophical statement made by the French philosopher René Descartes in his work "Discourse on the Method" (1637) and later expanded upon in "Meditations on First Philosophy" (1641). This statement is the result of Descartes' search for a foundational truth that cannot be doubted, as he was attempting to establish a secure basis for knowledge.

Descartes started his philosophical inquiry by doubting everything he knew, to see if he could arrive at any indubitable truth. He realized that even if he doubted everything, including his senses, his thoughts, and the existence of the external world, there was one thing he could not doubt: the fact that he was doubting. This act of doubting implied the existence of a thinking being who was doing the doubting.

"I think, therefore I am" captures the idea that the very act of thinking or doubting serves as proof of one's existence. Descartes posited that because he could not doubt his own thinking, his existence as a thinking being was certain and undeniable. This foundational certainty allowed Descartes to build his entire philosophical system, starting with the certainty of the self and then moving on to other knowledge claims.

It is important to note that Descartes' statement doesn't imply that thinking is the essence of being human or that those who don't think don't exist. Rather, it is a methodological tool he used to establish a solid foundation for knowledge by first identifying an indubitable truth that could withstand the most radical scepticism.

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