The famous quote "I think, therefore I am" is attributed to the French philosopher René Descartes. This statement, originally in Latin as "Cogito, ergo sum," is a fundamental element of Western philosophy. Descartes articulated this idea in his work "Meditations on First Philosophy," where he sought to establish a foundation for scientific knowledge by questioning everything that could be doubted. The phrase emphasizes the act of thinking as proof of one's existence—suggesting that the very doubt or questioning reflects consciousness. Descartes' ideas have had a profound impact on modern philosophy and are still widely discussed in studies of epistemology and metaphysics.