The word ergo , originating from the Latin language, is a conjunction that is used as a synonym for therefore , then and therefore . Before moving forward with this definition, we must first be clear about what a conjunction is.
This is what words are called that do not vary and are used to indicate a relationship of subordination or coordination between terms or sentences . Conjunctions function as a link.
What is ergo
Returning to the idea of ergo, this concept serves as a link in different contexts. Suppose that a young man had planned to go play soccer with his friends on Friday afternoon but finally that day he must work overtime at work. The boy warns: “Today I am going to leave the office very late: ergo, I will not be able to go play.” As you can see, the ergo conjunction links two propositions, the second ( “I'm not going to be able to go play” ) being a consequence of the first ( “Today I'm going to leave the office very late” ).
An economic analyst, on the other hand, believes that investors will not spend money in a country until there are legal guarantees. In this way he maintains: “The country must provide legal certainties; ergo, investments will arrive.” In this case, ergo functions as a synonym for then : “The country must provide legal certainties; Then, the investments will arrive.”
Descartes' famous maxim
It should be noted that René Descartes ' Latin phrase “Cogito ergo sum” is usually translated as “I think therefore I am.” The notion states that a person “is” when they think: that is, that the act of thinking constitutes them.
From this phrase expressed by Descartes we can also add that it is considered one of the pillars of the so-called modern philosophy. Likewise, other relevant aspects must be established in this regard, such as the following:
-It is considered that the same approach developed by the aforementioned French philosopher was already proposed in his own way by the Greek philosopher Aristotle.
-What's more, even Descartes was accused of plagiarism for that idea since he was very similar to the 16th century Spanish philosopher and humanist Gómez Pereira.
Other uses of ergo
However, we cannot ignore that there is another ergo that has a different etymological origin. Specifically, we are referring to the word that comes from the Greek term “ergon”, which can be translated as “work”.
In the same way, we cannot forget that there is a brand that responds to the name Ergo Baby . It is a brand of baby products, in which baby carriers stand out in particular.
We also cannot fail to mention the existence of a program that responds to the name “Ergo Sum” . It is a non-profit proposal that aims to ensure that people of any age can access video game programming, applications and even computers.
Likewise, it must be taken into account that “Ergo Proxy” is the title of a science fiction anime series, which began airing in 2006 and was produced by the now-defunct studio Manglobe.