What Does "I Think, Therefore I Am" Really Mean?
"I think, therefore I am" is the foundation of René Descartes' Methodological Skepticism, and it has become a hallmark of critical thinking.
Descartes had the courage to question everything, to memorize this great person, all critical thinking models have been named after Descartes.
The term "Cartesian" is now used to describe concepts related to his thinking.
Understanding Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is often misunderstood.
When people say "Critical", we tend to associate it with negativity or criticism
However, in the context of Descartes' philosophy, it refers to a process of questioning and evaluating ideas to arrive at the truth.
Let’s dive into Descartes' core ideas to get a clearer understanding.
Descartes' Four Key Principles of Rational Thought
In “A Discourse on the Method”, Descartes laid out 4 principles for gaining knowledge through rational inquiry:
1. Never accept anything as true if I did not have evident knowledge of its truth.
Descartes believed in not accepting anything as true unless it was evident and indubitable.
He insisted on beginning by doubting everything that could possibly be doubted to strip away assumptions and start from a firm foundation.
