Being Human. A few Remarks about Descartes’ Cogito ergo sum

A growing chasm between what man is and what he thinks he should be is undermining Western culture. It has to do with Descartes’ cogito ergo sum. Even though such pretense at hyper-rationality has been criticized by influential philosophers, it has become a fundamental element of the Weltanschauung and of the self-representation of its members. Lots of expectations stem from such a clear request, expectations that it is impossible to live up to, as even neurosciences point out. Human complexity cannot be reduced to simple economic actions without suffering dramatic setbacks, even though the Paretian mechanism of derivation still works at its best. What is worst, all modern institutions have been designed bearing in mind such a rational, calculating actor. So, as rationalization grows stricter and stricter, uncertainty follows in its wake, making people feel threatened and experience a sense of helplessness that clashes with the omnipresent rhetoric of control.