February 27, 2026
René Descartes famously said: “Cogito ergo sum” – “I think, therefore, I am.” Often quoted. It says that our unique existence as human beings is because of our logic, our ability to think. Such a handy saying…..too bad it is patently false.
An accepted facet of brain science is that certain parts of the brain are uniquely responsible for certain aspects of our characteristics. Logic, music, math, recognition, heartbeat and breathing, and feelings are all stored and controlled in different parts of our brains. A Pennsylvania quarry worker suffered a horrific accident in which a steel rod went up through his neck and throat and out the top of his skull – he lived! He didn’t even bleed! They did bandage him and asked a whole bunch of questions like name, address, birthdate, wife, children, anniversary, etc., which he answered perfectly. He knew laws and customs as well. He was labeled perfectly fine and uninjured. Accept, he started to swear. He started to say really inappropriate things. He drank and broke his wedding vows. Completely different behavior from previously. When confronted with the wrongness of what he was doing he agreed that it was the type of behavior a husband and father should never do. But he didn’t stop.
Turns out that the part of his brain that took care of feelings had been destroyed. He looked at his wife and children, logically knew they were his wife and children, but because he had no feelings for them he didn’t worry about hurting them through his actions. His logic was perfectly intact but his feelings were destroyed. He lacked love, empathy, sympathy, compassion, and a conscience. He was mechanically human but because he had no feelings he was essentially dead. Good decisions are motivated by having feelings.
Descartes should have said, “I feel, therefore, I am” but I wonder how many people today would believe that?
Let Us Pray: Father in Heaven, melt our cold hearts, make us softies, break our hearts of stone, that we may be the smartest and best people we can be. Help us to embrace having a conscience. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.