Name: Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Trang _ 179011035
Class: 17G1BM02
CRITICAL THINKING
Lecture: Ian Morton
“I THINK: THEREFORE I AM” _ DESCARTES
"I think: therefore I am" which is a sentence that the philosopher Descartes wrote is a
sentence worth pondering about. In one aspect, we can understand directly that "think" is
the fastest and easiest way for a person to feel for his/her survival because we just can think
if we are still alive. If we change "I think" with "I walk" or "I sing" or something like that, then
Descartes' sentence might not be accurate anymore, because a robot which has no life also
be able to walk or sing. However, if we take a deeper look at the meaning, "I think: therefore
I am" should be understood that if we are aware, we can survival. People need to think and
be aware of what they did, are doing, will do, as well as the ideals of lives and their own
purpose to be able to determine the existence and position of themselves close in society.
In addition, thinking is also one of the main conditions for us to survival in today's society
which is more and more developed and complex. Thinking is the way to find solutions to
every problem as well as the situation we encounter in life, even if it is not a good solution
but at least we have an independent direction without being controlled by others, because
we should not let our lives for others to control but we have to hold our lives in our hands. In
addition, thinking is one of many ways to create our focal points and the difference in a
collective which everyone in becomes the same as each other's copy. Such a simple
example: in today's young people, they are inclined to wear dark clothes because they think
wearing as this is beautiful and fashionable. If you think like them and wear like them, you
will become fuzzy in the crowd, but if you think that wearing bright colored clothes is also
very beautiful and fashionable, when you wear them, you will definitely become outstanding
and attractive in the crowd. However, in some special cases, we should not have different
thoughts with society to create unnecessary attraction for ourselves. Examples of this which
is the easiest to see is following the ethical principles and the rules of law and discipline in
the country and society because thoughts and actions which are not followed those will
cause many problems and incalculable consequences that affect not only oneself but also
society. In summary, in order to survive, we have to know thinking, thinking to know what is
right and what is wrong, what should be done and what should not be done, and in which
case we should be different so that we do not become faded in society.
*Sources: make reference ideas to the literatures of Principal of Law and Sociology
