I read this in a book today...
When Descartes said, "I think therefore, I am," he uttered a very profound thought. But there are times in the history of peoples when thought alone does not prove there existence...There are times when everything in you cries out: your very self-respect as a human being lies in your resistance to evil. We fight, therefore we are!
I wanted to share this with you for two reasons. One, I believe that many people take what the Greats, such as Plato and Socrates, say at face value. No one ever thinks for themselves, sits down and contemplates if their statements are truly accurate. We do this every day with each other; we avoid testing the truth and facts of common knowledge in order to sidestep conflict and possible humiliation. No one wants to raise their hand in class to question the Professor who spent eight years researching the very subject. No one wants to develop a theory contrary to Marx, Hobbes, or Machiavelli. So when I read this quote I was glad that someone finally did. Even though its a small notion, its a large step in the right direction.
Second, the author of this quote brings up a profound idea. In what context did Descartes believe that mere thinking was enough to prove our existence? Thinking is certainly important and is the ultimate road map to the final destination, but if we never get up and drive we'll never get anywhere. If we sit in a room all day and think, who is to say that were ever alive? What profound impact will we have on society if we have profound insight but never share it with the world? What if our forefathers thought about rebelling against British occupation but never acted to secure their rights? What if Martin Luther King Jr. thought about a dream but never shared it with America? What if Columbus thought the world was round but never sailed the oceans to fight for the truth?
I believe it is very important to share your ideas with others, always search for what is beyond wonderment, and fight for want you believe in and for what you want.
I think about this subject when I see a photograph of a person from a very long time ago who has already passed away. In the context of the photograph, they will exist as long as the photograph exists. It proves their existence at that moment. I also like to think about how people exists even after they have left us by the things that they have left behind such as inventions, discoveries, etc... Descartes proclaimed "I think therefore I am." But could he have been equally as profound if he said "I breathe, therefore I am?" Or turned it around completely to say "I am, therefore I think." What do you think?
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