“I think, therefore I am,” said Rene Descartes. What does this statement mean? It is difficult to deny that we can think—even if we deny every other aspect of our perceivable existence. The word ‘think” is a verb and thus an action. The logic of the Prima Axiomata is this: to act or to be acted upon, one must first exist. So, if we choose to accept our ability to think, and thus to act, we must also accept that we exist—according Descartes.

On the other hand, the Prima Axiomata is just what its title suggests—an axiom; albeit a convincing one, it is an axiom nonetheless. It is not necessarily true that existence inevitably follows logically from the ability to act or be acted upon. Also, the concept of existence must not be confused with that of existence in anything like a realm of “reality.” It may just as well be that we exist as a mere part of someone else’s dream--the point is that we exist. The question of how “real” we are is another matter. The Prima Axiomata, if we choose to accept it, tells us that we need not worry about whether or not we ARE, the only issue is the extent to which we are “real.”

"I think ,therefore I am" implyes the possibility of a universe containing several levels or realms of existence--a belief held by some of the great religions, like Buddhism, and by classical philosophers, like Plato.

This is the start of a new, perhaps 3-part discussion on certain aspects of the development of scince in relation to eastern thought,

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