Discussion Can some break this down

[Slimprofessional010]

What are people's thoughts on this quote

"I think there for I am"

 

[R. A.]

Cogito, ergo sum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

He was just saying it (at the end of a long-winded diatribe) to try and "prove" the existence of god though, so fuck him.

 

[theboy]

I do not know

They are just philosophies. It basically refers to being aware of yourself

 

[ma0]

Not sure exactly, but I believe it has a lot to do with consciousness and awareness. I suppose it's a way of validating one's own existence, proving that they have agency. Some people believe they are in a simulation, and all their actions have been chosen for them. However, as long as one can think about those possibilities, that means they are still in control of themselves.

One major gripe I have though is what it means for things that obviously aren't sentient. If AI thinks, for example, does that mean it's its own entity? Obviously not, but according to this quote that would be the case. I'm kind of unsure about this quote for that reason.

 

[Dejected 55]

It's also a logical fallacy in that being able to say the words doesn't automatically equate to the statement being true. You can program a computer to pronounce the words but it doesn't make the computer self-aware. You can also teach a parrot to say the words and no one would equate that to self-awareness in the same way they would a human.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I also agree with other members- that something doesn't necessarily need to think to exist. A cloud probably can't contemplate its own existence but it can create weather conditions that can be felt and measured- so- it clearly existed for some period of time.

Things can exist without conscious beings even noticing them. Think about the very ground and rocks we walk on. They existed in some form or another long before humans came along to start digging them up and labelling them. Deciding which ones are more valuable.

I remember seeing a parody of it: 'I Shop, Therefore I Am'. Probably what we buy and waste has more impact on the world than what (the majority anyway) of us think about.