"I Think Therefore I Am" Explained
605,806
Published 2022-01-05
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-------------------------VIDEO NOTES-------------------------
"I think, therefore I am" is perhaps the most famous phrase in the history of Western philosophy. Most people have heard it, many know what it means, but fewer still are aware of the myriad debates surrounding its meaning, translation, and success. I certainly wasn't before encountering it at university, where I chose to specialise in early modern philosophy.
This video is an introduction to "the cogito", as it is often called, and a brief exploration of some of the debates that surround it.
(A note: I refer to a horse and a horn as a Humean "simple idea" - this is not quite right: a simple idea is one which cannot be broken down into further simple ideas (such as colours, smells, etc.). To explain this nuance would have been an irrelevant detour, and the point ought still carry. A unicorn is, to correctly invoke Hume, a complex idea made up of further complex ideas, made up of simple ideas, which originate in simple impressions.)
(Note 2: Some empiricists will claim that knowledge comes primarily from our sense data, allowing for some limited a priori knowledge, and still call themselves empiricists.)
--------------RECOMMENDED READING---------------
René Descartes, "Meditations on First Philosophy" (meditations one and two): amzn.to/32SiBZd
John Cottingham, "Descartes" (chapter 2): amzn.to/3t8dv5M
Georges Dicker, "Descartes: An Analytical And Historical Introduction" (chapters 1-2): amzn.to/3HAv6re
Peter Markie, "The Cogito and its Importance", reprinted in the Cambridge Companion to Descartes: amzn.to/3ePTuZH
Also relevant:
For more information on rationalism - John Cottingham, "The Rationalists": amzn.to/336jEo5
David Hume's epistemology is mentioned, which can be read about in his "A Treatise of Human Nature", Book I, Part 1 and Book I, Part III §5: amzn.to/3380K0p
Baron Reed's example of psychological certainty is taken from his SEP entry, "Certainty": plato.stanford.edu/entries/certainty/
------------------------TIMESTAMPS--------------------------
0:00 Introduction
1:05 1: Rationalism
3:58 2: The Evil Demon
6:36 3: The Cogito
10:16 4: Deduction or Intuition?
15:30 5: A Mistranslation of Descartes?
18:35 6: Certainty vs Truth
20:43 Closing
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All Comments (21)
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A philosopher walks into a bar; the bartender says “a beer”. The philosopher responds “I think not”… and then he disappears
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"I am am, I think therefore... I am."
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i cannot comprehend not thinking, not existing, i just cannot get it into my mind that theres gonna be a day where i wont think therefore i wont be, i truly wish ican understand not existing
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I have no mouth and I must scream reference
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Who's seeing this because of "I have no mouth and I must scream"?
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Coffee is brewing, day off work, new Cosmic Skeptic video. Life is good.
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Seeing as my native language is German, which does not have a Continuous Present or equivalent, and having always understood the Cogito in this way anyways, this video has once again shown me the importance of clearly defined language, not only of course, but especially in discussion of thought. Thank you very much, for providing a fascinating new perspective, great video, keep it up!
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Great explanation thanks! Reminds me one of the gems that can be found in the french comics Astérix (making a pun between "je suis" = "I am" and "je suis" = "I am following"): Astérix and Obélix want to enter a roman fort, but they must give a password (which is "cogito ergo sum", but Astérix can't remember it). Astérix: "do you remember [the password]?" Obélix: "You know, foreign languages and me... And after all, YOU are thinking, I am following." (in French: "Oh, tu sais, moi, les langues étrangères… Et puis, toi tu penses, moi je suis.") Brilliant!
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As saying you changed the trajectory of my life may be a little too much of an overstatement, I’ll just admit the content you create has throughly impacted every aspect of the way I perceive my surroundings and express my interests. Your videos have deepened the way I analyze and process any input I receive. Finding your channel truly has been what I needed to further define what person I want to become and what paths do I want to follow when I become and adult. Thank you so much Alex!
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"I think, therefore I am" and the meditations were the first things I got taught in my first A level philosophy lesson, and I knew I was going to love the subject immediately.
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Great vídeo Alex. I do believe that YouTube needs more videos like this. Philosophical discussions presented in a objective and understanding manner. I'm Brazilian and a subscriber for years, keep up the good work!
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I never realized until now, that your channel and the way you speak, rationalize and build arguments has been a major reason why I got into studying philosophy. Thank you so much for your amazing work! It has brought so much positive change into my life!
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This is exactly what we need more of! Can you do David Hume or Kant's most famous works next?
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it means "I think therefore I am", but in buddhist terms, it could be more "I think, therefor the idea of me exists", and if we stop thinking the idea of being seperate from everything else breaks down and we feel apart of something bigger
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I remember my Father reading the book you’re referring to after his first heart attack at age 37. I was awestruck when he quoted “I think, therefore, I am,” to me, when he began meditation and yoga, after his triple bypass open-heart surgery, in 1975. These words put together made absolute sense to me. OF COURSE! I THINK, THEREFORE I AM! Brilliant!!! For a 13-year old girl at the time … and a freshman in high school, I had absorbed these words and resonated with them, of not knowing why, until much later. Your discussion and your concise explanation of the subject matter is simply stated for my 61 yr. old mind to understand 😉, and absolutely fascinating! Thank you!
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You have such a way of explaining complex ideas in a simple way so a wide variety of people can understand. I'm glad you share this knowledge on youtube
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I watched your videos when I got married. I got separated 5 months after I got married and I continue to watch your videos during my divorce proceedings. Turns out I had a longer relationship with your YouTube channel than I had with my abusive ex husband. Still, I discussed some of your videos with him and it's nostalgic. Cheers!! Edit: Getting abused and divorced at 26 gives you a weird understanding of the world.
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This was great! More of this kind - exploring central ideas in different philosophical issues, looking at different philosophers - would be really interesting!
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You have a truly wonderful ability to dig into deep subjects while introducing the foundational concepts behind the discussion without any hint of arrogance. Great job. Thank you.
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Bro this video style SLAPPED. Please do more of these type
