Cogito ergo sum is perhaps the birth of the modern philosophical movement for multiple reasons. The famous phrase of Descartes’ when translated means, I think, therefore, I am, and was the first of a series of logical proofs that Descartes made to help prove his own existence. Up until this time, the history of modern philosophy had relied on arguments about or involving God. Descartes is credited with writing ““Meditations” as the rejection of medieval ways of thinking and the invention of the modern self (Mercer, 2017).” The “medieval ways of thinking” can be seen from numerous pieces of work, contributed by those like Aristotle and Aquinas. But Descartes looked to change that, by working to take God out of the question and start at the most
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This problem is still relevant today, as it seems many debates do not consider the person’s life experience that brought them to their conclusions. Kant explains “much knowledge that is derived from empirical sources, that we have it or are capable of having it a priori, meaning thereby that we do not derive it immediately from experience, but from a universal rule—a rule which is itself, however, borrowed by us from experience (Kant, Guyer, & Wood 1998).” He argues that even though one might think that they have come to the most logical conclusion, they could be mistaken, and falling into their own bias without even being aware of it. Since experience is the only lens that can be used to truly view the universe, it is important to take this into account when one is developing a logic behind what they think and believe. Many people think that a priori knowledge is something that is attainable, Kant would argue however, that this is simple fallacious because the only way that humans can acquire knowledge is through their experience. Kant does however offer a solution in that mankind should “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law (Kant & Abbott 2008).” This definition was applied to perhaps Kant’s most famous work, the categorical imperative. This principle as least gives mankind a way to treat each other that is borrowed from the Bible, where Jesus says during his sermon on the mount, “Do to others as you would have them do to you (2004).” Kant looked to replace and reframe this idea for his time, and it still a good policy to apply to life
This problem is still relevant today, as it seems many debates do not consider the person’s life experience that brought them to their conclusions. Kant explains “much knowledge that is derived from empirical sources, that we have it or are capable of having it a priori, meaning thereby that we do not derive it immediately from experience, but from a universal rule—a rule which is itself, however, borrowed by us from experience (Kant, Guyer, & Wood 1998).” He argues that even though one might think that they have come to the most logical conclusion, they could be mistaken, and falling into their own bias without even being aware of it. Since experience is the only lens that can be used to truly view the universe, it is important to take this into account when one is developing a logic behind what they think and believe. Many people think that a priori knowledge is something that is attainable, Kant would argue however, that this is simple fallacious because the only way that humans can acquire knowledge is through their experience. Kant does however offer a solution in that mankind should “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law (Kant & Abbott 2008).” This definition was applied to perhaps Kant’s most famous work, the categorical imperative. This principle as least gives mankind a way to treat each other that is borrowed from the Bible, where Jesus says during his sermon on the mount, “Do to others as you would have them do to you (2004).” Kant looked to replace and reframe this idea for his time, and it still a good policy to apply to life