Rene the rationalist

I HAVE CONVINCED MYSELF THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD-NO SKY, NO EARTH, NO MINDS, NO BODIES. DOESN'T IT FOLLOW THAT I DON'T EXIST? NO, SURELY I MUST EXIST IF IT'S ME WHO IS CONVINCED OF SOMETHING. BUT THERE IS A DECEIVER, SUPREMELY POWERFUL AND CUNNING WHOSE AIM IS TO SEE THAT I AM ALWAYS DECEIVED. BUT SURELY I EXIST, IF I AM DECEIVED. LET HIM DECEIVE ME ALL HE CAN, HE WILL NEVER MAKE IT THE CASE THAT I AM NOTHING WHILE I THINK THAT I AM SOMETHING. THUS, HAVING FULLY WEIGHED EVERY CONSIDERATION, I MUST FULLY CONCLUDE THAT THE STATEMENT "I AM, THEREFORE I EXIST" MUST BE TRUE WHENEVER I STATE IT OR MENTALLY CONSIDER IT.
-DESCARTES, MEDITATIONS II

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