I think, therefore I am, means I think, therefore I exist.

Cogito je suis is mentioned in the fourth part of Descartes's "On Method". According to the literal meaning, the original words are Je pense, donc je suis, which is literally translated as I think, therefore I exist. When it was first translated, it was translated as "I think, therefore I am." In "The Complete Works of Descartes" published by the Commercial Press in 2009, the correct translation is "I think, therefore I am."

I think, therefore I am, means that the only thing I can be sure of is the existence of my own thoughts, because when I doubt others, I cannot simultaneously doubt my own thoughts. When I am thinking and doubting, there must be a thinker who performs the thinking. This me as the subject cannot be doubted. This me is not the extended physical me, but the thinker me.

This sentence "I think, therefore I am" is known as Descartes's classic saying. It is the starting point of Descartes's entire epistemological philosophy and the end point of his universal doubt. He proved through universal doubt that human beings themselves as the subject of knowledge, this existence is not the existence of material, but the existence of consciousness.

The influence of Descartes’ philosophical thoughts:

1. Descartes pioneered modern French philosophy. His philosophical thoughts laid a solid foundation for modern French philosophy and also provided the source of rationalist philosophy on the European continent. His rationalist philosophy promoted the development of the French Enlightenment and provided ideological support for the subsequent French Revolution.

2. Descartes’ philosophical thoughts had an important impact on the development of science in later generations. He advocated that science should serve mankind and put forward the philosophical view that I think, therefore I am. This idea emphasizes the importance of thinking in scientific research, encourages scientists to pursue truth from the perspective of rational thinking, and thus promotes the development of science.

3. Descartes’ philosophical thoughts also have a profound impact on modern mathematics and science. His mathematical methods, such as algebra, geometry and analysis, are widely used in modern mathematics and science. His splitting method also provides important thinking methods for modern scientific research.