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Meaning of "cogito, ergo sum" in the English dictionary

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PRONUNCIATION OF COGITO, ERGO SUM

cogito, ergo sum  [ˈkɒɡɪˌtəʊ ˈɜːɡəʊ ˈsʊm] play
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WHAT DOES COGITO, ERGO SUM MEAN IN ENGLISH?

cogito, ergo sum

Cogito ergo sum

Cogito ergo sum is a philosophical proposition by René Descartes. The simple meaning of the Latin phrase is that thinking about one’s existence proves—in and of itself—that an "I" exists to do the thinking; or, as Descartes explains, "e cannot doubt of our existence while we doubt …." This proposition became a fundamental element of Western philosophy, as it was perceived to form a foundation for all knowledge. While other knowledge could be a figment of imagination, deception or mistake, the very act of doubting one's own existence arguably serves as proof of the reality of one's own existence, or at least of one's thought. Descartes' original phrase, je pense, donc je suis, appeared in his Discourse on the Method, which was written in French rather than Latin to reach a wider audience in his country than scholars. He used the Latin cogito ergo sum in the later Principles of Philosophy. The argument is popularly known in the English speaking world as "the cogito ergo sum argument" or, more briefly, as "the cogito".

Definition of cogito, ergo sum in the English dictionary

The definition of cogito, ergo sum in the dictionary is I think, therefore I am; the basis of Descartes' philosophy.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH COGITO, ERGO SUM


adsum
ˈædˌsʊm
Aksum
ˈɑːksʊm
Axum
ˈɑːksʊm
outsum
ˌaʊtˈsʊm
soum
sʊm

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE COGITO, ERGO SUM

cogger
coggie
cogging
coggle
coggly
cogitable
cogitate
cogitation
cogitative
cogitatively
Cognac
cognate
cognate object
cognately
cognateness
cognation
cognisable
cognisably
cognisance
cognisant

WORDS THAT END LIKE COGITO, ERGO SUM

alyssum
capital sum
checksum
corpus callosum
corpus cavernosum
dim sum
dorsum
gypsum
helichrysum
Hilversum
logical sum
lump sum
odontoglossum
opossum
pensum
possum
sargassum
sum
vector sum
zero-sum

Synonyms and antonyms of cogito, ergo sum in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «cogito, ergo sum» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF COGITO, ERGO SUM

Find out the translation of cogito, ergo sum to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of cogito, ergo sum from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «cogito, ergo sum» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

我思, ERGO总和
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

cogito , ergo sum
570 millions of speakers

English

cogito, ergo sum
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

Cogito , फलस्वरूप राशि
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

كوجيتو ، مبلغ إرجو
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

когито , Ergo Sum
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

cogito , ergo sum
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

আমি চিন্তা করিতে পারি অতএব সমষ্টি
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

cogito , ergo sum
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Cogito, ergo sum
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

cogito , ergo sum
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

コギト、エルゴサム
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

코기토 에르고 합
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Cogito, ergo sum
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

cogito , ergo sum
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

Cogito, மொத்த தொகை
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

कगोिटो
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

Cogito ergo sum
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

cogito , ergo sum
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

cogito , ergo sum
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

когито , Ergo Sum
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

cogito , ergo sum
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

Cogito , ergo sum
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

cogito , ergo sum
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

cogito , ergo sum
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

Cogito , ergo sum
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of cogito, ergo sum

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «COGITO, ERGO SUM»

The term «cogito, ergo sum» is regularly used and occupies the 92.592 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
57
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «cogito, ergo sum» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of cogito, ergo sum
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «cogito, ergo sum».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «COGITO, ERGO SUM» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «cogito, ergo sum» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «cogito, ergo sum» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about cogito, ergo sum

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «COGITO, ERGO SUM»

Discover the use of cogito, ergo sum in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to cogito, ergo sum and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Cogito, Ergo Sum: The Life of René Descartes
Cogito Ergo Sum is certain to be the standard life of Descartes against which all future biographies will be judged.
Richard Watson, 2007
2
Cogito Ergo Sum and Other Musings on Science
Through essay, poetry, journalism, and fiction, well-known Philippine writers reflect on and investigate the vagaries of physics, zoology, and mathematics, as well as computer science, environmental science, and agriculture, among others.
Queena N. Lee, 2002
3
Cogito Ergo Sum
From the deceptively difficult task of painting a room, to the hilarious antics of a ferry port's immigration officials, Tom's unique take on each event provides the perfect amusing light-read."It's like Very Nearly Random but in a book!"
Tom Collins, 2008
4
Essays on the Philosophy and Science of Rene Descartes
In the first, we may pose the question as follows: "What does sum mean; in particular, what does esse, being, contribute to the formula cogito, ergo sum?" Saying "being" is really not enough, if we wish to think what being gives to thought; ...
Department of Philosophy Bogazici University Stephen Voss Professor, 1992
5
On the Way to Heidegger’s Contributions to Philosophy
Descartes' celebrated cogito, his "I think," in the light of the inceptual relatedness of tyvxA and dArj9ei.a and consequently takes cogito ergo sum as what comes to pass in the interplay of the first and the other beginning. Descartes understands ...
Parvis Emad, 2007
6
Cogito? : Descartes and Thinking the World: Descartes and ...
This volume looks at the first half of the proposition--cogito. Almog calls this the "thinking man's paradox": how can there be, in the the natural world and as part and parcel of it, a creature that... thinks?
UCLA Joseph Almog Professor Philosophy, 2008
7
Quotations Quotations: Ich Bin Ein Berliner, Cogito Ergo ...
Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online.
Source Wikipedia, LLC Books, 2010
8
Essays on the Philosophy and Science of René Descartes
In the first, we may pose the question as follows: "What does sum mean; in particular, what does esse, being, contribute to the formula cogito, ergo sum?" Saying "being" is really not enough, if we wish to think what being gives to thought; ...
Stephen Voss, 1993
9
Rationalized Epistemology: Taking Solipsism Seriously
... constituent in a dream. The 272 □ RATIONALIZED EPISTEMOLOGY The Invalidity of Cogito, Ergo Sum.
Albert A. Johnstone, 1991
10
The Concept of the Political: Expanded Edition
The protego ergo obligo is the cogito ergo sum of the state. A political theory which does not systematically become aware of this sentence remains an inadequate fragment. Hobbes designated this (at the end of his English edition of 1651, p.
Carl Schmitt, 2008

8 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «COGITO, ERGO SUM»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term cogito, ergo sum is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Enhver ny tanke begynder med tvivl
Og da det er selvmodsigende at tro, at den, som tænker, ikke eksisterer, konkluderer Descartes: Cogito, ergo sum – jeg tænker, altså er jeg. «Dagbladet Information, Jun 15»
2
'The Cartoon Introduction to Philosophy' Is Something of a Duck …
... Rene Descartes in a face-to-face encounter with a deceptive demon to learn the meaning of the philosopher's famous “Cogito, ergo sum”, ... «PopMatters, Apr 15»
3
W&M philosophy professors reflect on Descartes
Cogito, ergo sum” – “I think, therefore I am” – is probably the most famous line ever uttered by a philosopher, and likely the only Latin some ... «William and Mary News, Mar 15»
4
This Is Your Avatar Speaking
The Cartesian “Cogito, ergo sum,” he said, which is critical to the Western conception of the self, could be destabilized if people began to ... «The New Yorker, Feb 15»
5
Hip to be square: suprematism at the Whitechapel Gallery
... was reused in 1999 by Rosemarie Trockel, switching the black and white and woven in wool with the words “Cogito, ergo sum” stitched in. «New Statesman, Jan 15»
6
Planet of the shapes: how art and society were driven to abstraction
... while one of Rosemarie Trockel's woollen works is a direct play on Malevich, but with “Cogito, ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am) woven into it. «The Guardian, Jan 15»
7
'Spark,' the Latest Dystopian Novel From John Twelve Hawks
Descartes's “Cogito, ergo sum” comes up repeatedly as a matter of crucial important in a world where artificial intelligence grows more powerful ... «New York Times, Oct 14»
8
Cogito, Ergo Sum (or Thereabouts): 'Neil Gaiman and Philosophy …
For readers with only a cursory understanding of Western philosophy, this book might seem intimidating, but there's no need for worry. «PopMatters, Sep 12»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Cogito, ergo sum [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/cogito-ergo-sum>. Apr 2024 ».
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