Friday Philosophy

Rene Descartes (1596-1650) may be the most famous philosopher since the classical age, largely for the sentiment expressed in the middle of the following quote. I thought you might like to see it the slightly broader context through which it was originally expressed (allowing for the fact that even this passage was a segment of a much longer work):

"I observed that, whilst I thus wished to think
that all was false, it was absolutely necessary
that I, who thus thought, should be somewhat;
and as I observed that this truth, I think, hence
I am was so certain and of such evidence, that
no ground of doubt, however extravagant,
could be alleged by the sceptics capable of
shaking it, I concluded that I might, without
scruple, accept it as the first principle of the
philosophy of which I am in search."