Good old Descartes, he seemed to have found out that he could think and from that simple supposition deducted that he therefore must exist. What a folly! As if the realisation of one action or event could ever prove the existence of another occurrence. But be as it may, even if his axiom could ever be proved correct – philosophically speaking that is – the consequences of it being accepted as the absolute truth could open the doors to an endless string of obviously false statements.
Philosophers and scientists live and strive on the belief – belief, I say advisedly, because that’s all that is, belief – that future events or occurrences can be forecast and proved by a hypothesis based on statistical probability.
The sun rises in the East and sets in the West… that is an established fact so far, based on countless validated observations over many thousands of centuries and therefore the statistical probability is that it will predictably happen the same way for countless thousands of centuries hence. Yes, but… the Earth could be hit by another heavenly body (and I do not mean Liberty Ross, or the likes of her modelling sexy underwear) substantial enough to tilt the axis of rotation out of its present degree and the sun could rise at another geographical coordinate from then on… or not rise or set at all if the rotation stopped altogether.
Descartes could not predict what would happen in the twentieth or the twenty-first century and therefore he believed that thinking was an adequate prerequisite for existence. Today, he would be proved to be utterly wrong by the utterances of many politicians and demagogues. They don’t think, they just exist… unfortunately…
I think, therefore I am…
Computers exist (unfortunately!); their existence is definitely not dependent on their own thinking, they cannot recognise their own existence, they cannot even think…(most of the time they cannot even work!) Can we presume that trees think? Or grass? They exist; is their existence dependent on thinking?… and if so, on who’s?…
Do President Bush and Tony Blair think? They exist – God save us! – but can it be proved that they think, or their existence is dependent of their thinking? If it was, they probably would not exist by now, as I venture to say that their thinking could not get them out of a paper bag, if they were dropped into it… Unfortunately the existence of the rest of mankind may very well be dependent on their thinking,,, and why does that fill me with utter hopelessness?… My wish is that they would at least try to think… or, better still, fade into non-existence…
Cogito, ergo sum… I think, therefore I am… unfortunately Descartes axiom can only prove the first part of the statement : “I think”… the rest is only an inference… it cannot be proved… which leaves me wondering what my thinking is leading up to. For – paradoxically – by twisting Cogito – I think - into Blogito – I blog - I discovered my own existence. Really! At a friend’s suggestion – why could I not think of it myself? Do I not exist? – I did a Google search on my name. Guess what I came up with…
An entry amongst numerous others, on the first page:
How2Trade4Profit Home Business Blog
Peter Oszmann can help YOU start your own profitable business on the Internet
... Name:Peter Oszmann: Location:London, England, United Kingdom ...
how2trade4profit.blogspot.com/ - 119k - Cached - Similar pages
So here is the irrefutable proof: Blogito, ergo sum. I blog, therefore I am. Here is a proof, independent of my thinking that I exist… at least in cyberspace…
If you don’t believe it go and check it out… So there… Blogito, ergo sum… Descartes, eat your heart out!…
© P. J. Oszmann (2005)
Illustration: The Thinker by Auguste Rodin
