On the Interpretation and Analytics of Cogito, Ergo Sum
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Christopher Kirby
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
May 2025
End Date
May 2025
Location
PUB 323
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Philosophy
Abstract
Descartes’ famous axiom, “cogito, ergo sum,” was supplied as a supposedly viable first principle of philosophy. According to Descartes, this foundation is so clear and distinct that through our knowledge of it we can deduce nearly any other information we seek to establish as true. Descartes himself contends that the deductions proceeding from this foundation rival those of mathematics and geometry in certainty. The research conducted here aimed at discerning the veracity of Descartes’ claim concerning the validity of the Cogito as a first principle. To determine the validity of Descartes’ principle, first the efficacy of his rationalist epistemology of foundationalism is called into question. Then, various scholarly interpretations of the Cogito and their implications on its validity are considered. It is demonstrated that if the Cogito is an instance of a formal inference, then it is patently fallacious. However, multiple non-inferential interpretations are considered and assumed true. Finally, it is argued that A.J. Ayer’s analysis of the Cogito illustrates Descartes himself, due to his own restricting epistemic standards, contradicts himself by asserting “cogito, ergo sum.”
Recommended Citation
Riggs, Jacob H., "On the Interpretation and Analytics of Cogito, Ergo Sum" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 4.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/op_2025/o4_2025/4
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
On the Interpretation and Analytics of Cogito, Ergo Sum
PUB 323
Descartes’ famous axiom, “cogito, ergo sum,” was supplied as a supposedly viable first principle of philosophy. According to Descartes, this foundation is so clear and distinct that through our knowledge of it we can deduce nearly any other information we seek to establish as true. Descartes himself contends that the deductions proceeding from this foundation rival those of mathematics and geometry in certainty. The research conducted here aimed at discerning the veracity of Descartes’ claim concerning the validity of the Cogito as a first principle. To determine the validity of Descartes’ principle, first the efficacy of his rationalist epistemology of foundationalism is called into question. Then, various scholarly interpretations of the Cogito and their implications on its validity are considered. It is demonstrated that if the Cogito is an instance of a formal inference, then it is patently fallacious. However, multiple non-inferential interpretations are considered and assumed true. Finally, it is argued that A.J. Ayer’s analysis of the Cogito illustrates Descartes himself, due to his own restricting epistemic standards, contradicts himself by asserting “cogito, ergo sum.”
