One
day, I asked myself: Do I really exist?
I answered: “Of course, I eat, see,
listen, and speak, doing things that only living - thus existing - creatures
can do.”
But then, doubt set in: what if my perception
is a demon’s evil attempt to deceive me?
After deliberation, I replied: even if
there is a demon, its attempt ironically proves my existence, because it deceived
me, the existent ME. By the way, why you ask these questions?
I answered: why not interested in myself?
This universal yet seemingly meaningless
inquiry that came to great philosopher Rene Descartes transformed modern
philosophy. From this inquiry sprouted fundamental philosophical basis of
modern philosophy and psychology: the object of inquiry should be us human
beings.
Rings of Saturn are also a seemingly impractical
and meaningless object to care about. What would change if they didn’t exist? However,
just like Rene Descartes, Galileo Galilei, the greatest mind of his time cared
to examine them, and from his curiosity came the most groundbreaking finding:
Earth circles the Sun.
Why not care?
