|
|
Article: I am. Therefore, I think: explanations of cognitive development. (Revolutionary Studies in Child Psychology).
- Article from:
- Camping Magazine
- Article date:
- July 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 American Camping Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Big Questions
About 300 years before Winnie-the-Pooh's impossible reply to Rabbit, French mathematician and philosopher Rene Descartes sat in his study in Holland and pondered the truth. He thought about dreams, consciousness, and his five senses. Suddenly he realized there was one, undeniable and absolute truth about the universe -- if he was thinking, he must exist. For Descartes, knowing our own mental states proves our existence. Or, as he put it, "I think, therefore I am."
Pooh's statement is silly, of course, because the mere fact that he heard, understood, and answered Rabbit proved that he had a brain. The contradiction between Pooh's statement ...