Cogito Ergo Sum
So said Rene Descartes in this Meditations. The only proof I have of my existence is the fact that I am thinking. How very profound! So these words being penned here might be the only proof of my existence?
The method of Cartesian doubt was Descartes’s most important legacy. His subsequent theories (intended to prove the existence of God) did not survive the test of time, although his contributions to geometry remains acknowledged to this day.
The physical world is a mere conjunction between the mind and the body. The mind is supreme for all proofs stem from its existence. Other senses merely support the reasoning of the mind, such that the true nature of things can only be perceived not in the physical sense, but from pure reason.
I can almost imagine another parallel dimension where my mind occupies a place, surrounded by other minds. It is almost a virtual room - where people whom I know are close in proximity in this mind-space. Every interaction in this world is not just a meeting in flesh, but also a communion of spirits.
This mind-space does not quite correspond to the physical dimension, for someone who is physically distant may still be present in my thoughts. The impressions left by others on my mind, but yet there is no physical residue of our acquaintance, except in memory.
I don’t suppose this idea is new, but having developed it by myself, I feel that I have come closer to understanding the mystery of life.
The lack of intellectual vigour has prevented me from perusing the texts in its entirety, and so I had to turn to Russell’s “History of Western Philosophy”. Its an excellent introduction to philosophical ideas from the ancient Greeks to the 20th century, and a boon to lesser mortals such as I.
Another introduction is Sophies World by Jostein Gaarder. It cleverly meshes the introduction of philosophical ideas into a mystery novel that keeps the mind busy from start to end.