Let’s make a dead philosopher cry

While doing research (clicking links) for my previous post, I ran across several pictures of René Descartes and laughed my ass off. I know, I know, I’m not one to talk, but still.

In any case, since nothing I write can make me laugh as much as Descartes’ face, here we go.

Continue reading Let’s make a dead philosopher cry…

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I think, therefore I

So it turns out that of all the things René Descartes came up with (Cartesian geometry, dualism, several whopping good recipes), his most basic principle is also the most hotly contested.

Cogito, ergo sum.

which, roughly translated, is:

I think, therefore I is.

…

I told you it was roughly translated. Anyway, I just heard all of the objections to this simple little claim which include:

1. Bertrand Russell’s “Do thoughts need a thinker?” That if they don’t, then he doesn’t really know anything other than “I think, therefore I think.”
2. That there’s a hidden major premise, namely “all those that think, exist.” In other words, you can’t say “I think, therefore I am” without proving that everything that thinks, is.
3. That since Descartes doubts math and analytic truths as a possible confusion imposed by some evil demon, then even logic would be doubtful and his whole operation is useless.
4. Georg Lichtenberg’s argument that Descartes inferred too much from his thought processes. That he really should have just said “there is some thinking going on.”
5. That the word ‘I’ implies existence, therefore the ‘am’ in “I think, therefore I am” is redundant. In other words, Descartes is really saying “I think, therefore I,” which, of course, is a tautology and true by definition (p and q, therefore p).

Wow. Okay, I don’t much care for René Descartes, but the man’s been dead for 455 years, you’d at least think that philosophers would cut him some slack. I mean, the man can’t defend himself anymore. He isn’t anymore, therefore he doesn’t think.

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