"If you would be a real seeker after truth, you must at least once in your life doubt, as far as possible, all things."
"But immediately upon this I observed that, whilst I thus wished to think that all was false, it was absolutely necessary that I, who thus thought, should be somewhat; and as I observed that this truth, I think, therefore I am, was so certain and of such evidence that no ground of doubt, however extravagant, could be alleged by the sceptics capable of shaking it, I concluded that I might, without scruple, accept it as the first principle of the philosophy of which I was in search."
... Discourse On The Method, René Descartes
2 comments:
Thanks a lot for this Descartes quote- I have heard of "I think, therefore I am"- but haven't read it in context. So this is the first principle of philosophy- it is "absolutely necessary that I, who thus thought, should be somewhat". This brings in a whole new understanding of what this means.
Thanks a lot.
Regards,
Baskar
A related post in February 08: http://thehoopoesodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/02/i-think-therefore-i-am.html
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