Cogito Ergo Sum

In the 1600s, a French philosopher named René Descartes wanted to find a truth that could never be doubted. He began by questioning everything—his senses, his knowledge, even the world around him. But in the middle of this deep doubt, he discovered something certain: if he was doubting, then he was thinking; and if he was thinking, he must exist. From this came his famous words: Cogito, ergo sum — “I think, therefore I am.”

Descartes first wrote the phrase in French so that more people could understand it, later publishing it in Latin for scholars. Over time, others expanded it into “I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am.” This simple idea became a milestone in philosophy, reminding us that even when everything feels uncertain, the act of thinking itself proves our existence.

René Descartes

Philosophy