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This 3 page paper focuses on Descartes' famous statement "I think. Therefore, I am." Skepticism is explored. Hume's ideas are also incorporated. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: RT13_SA343RD.rtf
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all its meaning may still be skeptical about existence. Descartes and his supporters firmly believed that the cogito does resolve skepticism. His statement "I think, therefore I am,"
is not just an inference about the activity of thinking in respect to the existence of something else which performs an activity ("Descartes: Starting," 2003). Rather, it is thought
to be an intuition in respect to "ones own reality" (2003). It is in essence "an expression of the indubitability of first-person experience, the logical self-certification of self-conscious awareness in
any form" (2003). By suggesting that this is possible that one can know they are thinking and that this proves existence is sufficient to relieve all doubt, at least according
to Descartes. To Descartes, skepticism is defeated ("Descartes: Starting," 2003). What is believed is that even though there can be challenges to skepticism, there is one part of human
knowledge that can never be defeated which is that one is certain of their own existence (2003). From this vantage point, Descartes thought that it is possible to create
knowledge for many different propositions too (2003). Yet, while Descartes believes that the cogito relieves all doubt, there are certainly lingering questions that are not answered by the phrase
"I think. Therefore I am." What if one does not think? Does that prove that he or she does not exist? Brain-dead patients certainly do exist. Interestingly, in Skeptic magazine
it is inferred that things have changed since Descartes days and people are more inquisitive and use scientific method ("What," 2002). One author turns things around to "I Am. Therefore
I Think" (2002, p.5) Of course, that it not exactly what Descartes was talking about. In the positive sense, knowing that one is thinking provides solace in respect to the
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