Wonder where Despartes got it?
Exodus 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
I doubt it. There doesn't appear to be any connection between what Descartes was getting at and the formula for God.
Huh???
Descartes' classic line, "I think therefore I am" has nothing to do with scriptures, with the possible exception that he might have been inspired by them, since he was said to be a religious man.
This was the response to the question, "How do we know we exist."
Mark
And Popeye said unto Olive Oyl: I YAM WHAT I YAM
Descartes "got it" from an analysis of existance. The first step in existance is self awareness. One must be aware that they exist before any other existance can be contemplated. The question posed to philosophy at that time was:
How can a man be sure that he exists at all?
Descartes answer to that was Cogito ergo sum, I think therefore I am
A major stepping stone in the history of Philosophy and a clear answer to some of the major existential questions of his time.