What did Descartes mean by you think therefore you are?

Answer 1

He meant that you can't trust your 5 senses to know that what you see/hear etc is real, and if you are really here right now. Your senses can mislead you in how the world looks (eg colour blindness) and you might not be here at all (eg dreaming - or imagine being inside 'the matrix' - how would you know you were in a false reality when everything seems real?) 'I think therefore I am' was Descartes' way of saying that your own consciousness was the only evidence that you exist, as you must exist somewhere and in some state to be thinking. Everything else around you could be an illusion.

Answer 2

Descartes meant that the act of doubting our existence proves that we exist as thinking beings. This famous phrase, "Cogito, ergo sum" in Latin, serves as the foundation for his philosophy and the certainty of the self's existence. It signifies that the ability to doubt, question, and think is a fundamental aspect of human existence.