Cogito, ergo sum

"Cogito, ergo sum" is a Latin philosophical proposition by René Descartes, which translates to "I think, therefore I am." This statement is a fundamental element of Western philosophy and serves as a foundational element in Descartes' larger argument for the existence of the self as a thinking being. Descartes introduced this idea in his work "Meditations on First Philosophy," where he sought to establish a secure foundation for scientific knowledge.