From the Ground Up

René Descartes’ “Cogito Ergo Sum”

René, a 12-year-old boy who loves nature and solitude, falls asleep on a September afternoon out in the woods by his fort. A couple of hours later, he wakes from the nap only to realize that the fire in front of him is not that different than the fire in his dream, and he suddenly realizes that there might not be a way to tell the difference. He then takes on the challenge to search for something that can be known for certain.

This book is intended to introduce young children to the Cogito, one of the most famous lines in Western Philosophy. "Cogito ergo sum" is a Latin phrase that means "I think; therefore, I am." Written by the French philosopher Renē Descartes in the 1600s, it was the first idea that Descartes believed could be known with certainty. It then became the foundational piece of knowledge in Descartes' epistemology (i.e., related to knowledge) from which he worked to see what else could be known beyond doubt. Ultimately, he wanted to provide a secure foundation for scientific knowledge. This is the second book in the series "Philosophy for Kids," and the overall intent is to introduce kids to the great world of Western Philosophy in narrative form.