Descartes' "Cogito Ergo Sum": The Revolution and Critique of Rationalism

Abstract

René Descartes' statement "Cogito Ergo Sum" ("I think, therefore I am") had a revolutionary impact on Western philosophy. By employing radical doubt, Descartes sought to rebuild human knowledge on firm, unquestionable foundations established through reason alone. The "Cogito" marked his realisation that the certainty of his existence as a thinking being could serve as a foundational truth. From this, he attempted to logically derive the existence of God and the external world. Descartes' emphasis on rationalism over empiricism initiated a paradigm shift, liberating human enquiry from religious dogma. However, his approach attracted critiques, particularly regarding the role of the "I", his introduction of God, his prioritisation of intuition over deductive logic, Cartesian dualism, and whether the "Cogito" truly establishes the existence of a thinking subject. Despite these objections, Descartes' reasoning profoundly influenced subsequent Rationalist, Empiricist, and Idealist philosophies, shaping modern epistemological discussions. This text provides an overview of Descartes' revolutionary doubt, the "Cogito" reasoning, his broader rationalist framework, and a survey of major philosophical critiques, highlighting the seminal impact of the "Cogito" on modern Western philosophy.

Subject code: 0020-174X