Cogito, ergo sum relying on clarity, distinctiveness, and self-evidence. Baruch Spinoza in ""Principia philosophiae cartesianae"" at its "Prolegomenon" identified "cogito ergo sum" the ""ego sum cogitans"" (I am a thinking being) as the thinking substance with his ontological interpretation. It can also be considered that "Cogito ergo sum" is needed before any living being can go further in life". Although the idea expressed in "cogito, ergo sum" is widely attributed to Descartes, he was not the first to mention it. Plato spoke about the "knowledge of knowledge" (Greek νόησις νοήσεως "nóesis noéseos") and Aristotle explains the idea in full length: But if life
Cogito, ergo sum ("If I am mistaken, I am") (book XI, 26), and also anticipates modern refutations of the concept. Furthermore, in the "Enchiridion" Augustine attempts to refute skepticism by stating, "[B]y not positively affirming that they are alive, the skeptics ward off the appearance of error in themselves, yet they do make errors simply by showing themselves alive; one cannot err who is not alive. That we live is therefore not only true, but it is altogether certain as well" (Chapter 7 section 20). In 1640 correspondence, Descartes thanked two colleagues for drawing his attention to Augustine and notes similarity and difference.