A “Big Culture” and Cogito

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Cartesian cogito ergo sum is a major milestone for modern European philosophy, which shaped its mainstream for centuries. This dictum states that consciousness is the only reliable object of inquiry, with a criterion of radical doubt, the goal of which is to cut off any unreliable statement leaving only that which is trustworthy and which serves as a starting point to construct true knowledge. Cogito ergo sum is not a syllogism with a missing major premise, for such a premise would not pass this radical doubt criterion. Then, what does justify ergo? To justify it, cogito should be the same as sum, though taken differently. Only in that case ergo adds nothing to undoubted cogito, and cogito ergo sum passes the radical doubt criterion. Nothing to object so far; but why a full stop after sum? Cogito is any activity of my mind. To display activity, I have to be. This is beyond doubt; yet equally I have to be able to act. The universe of total being (total sum) of Parmenides leaves no place for cogito as activity. Therefore cogito ergo sum is possible only on condition of adding et ergo ago, otherwise it is self-contradictory. A cluster of kindred cultures share this or that reading of the cogito formula. This cluster is called ‘Big Culture.’ European culture reads it as cogito ergo sum, while Arabo-Muslim culture reads it as cogito ergo ago.