Q0670
“Before the ego cogito there is an ego conquiro; “I conquer” is…” — Enrique Dussel (Philosophy of Liberation §1.1.2.2 (Martínez))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Philosophy of Liberation §1.1.2.2 (Martínez). Theme: time.
English
Before the ego cogito there is an ego conquiro; “I conquer” is the practical foundation of “I think.”
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Philosophy of Liberation §1.1.2.2 (Martínez) and files it under Political Phenomenology. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Enrique Dussel
Enrique Dussel (1934–2023) was an Argentine-Mexican philosopher of liberation who wrote from geopolitical periphery—famously in Mexican exile—toward a worldwide philosophy. Philosophy of Liberation (1977) and later ethics of liberation fuse Levinasian exteriority with a critique of Eurocentric modernity since 1492.
How to read this passage
Is time a river, a dimension, or a structure of consciousness? Augustine, Bergson, and modern metaphysics offer rival pictures while ethics asks how finite time should be spent. This passage enters that discussion through time, power, self.
Concepts in this quote
- Time
- Philosophy of time asks what tense and duration are—and how memory, death, and history shape a human life.
- Power
- Power is the capacity to affect others and to shape what counts as possible—central to politics and ethics.
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Enrique Dussel. (n.d.). Before the ego cogito there is an ego conquiro; “I conquer” is the practical foundation of “I think.” In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0670
MLA: Enrique Dussel. “Before the ego cogito there is an ego….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0670.
Chicago: Enrique Dussel. “Before the ego cogito there is an ego….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0670.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Before the ego cogito there is an ego…”?
The passage is attributed to Enrique Dussel, Philosophy of Liberation §1.1.2.2 (Martínez). The archive attributes this English wording to Philosophy of Liberation §1.1.2.2 (Martínez) and files it under Political Phenomenology. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Enrique Dussel mean by time?
Is time a river, a dimension, or a structure of consciousness? Augustine, Bergson, and modern metaphysics offer rival pictures while ethics asks how finite time should be spent. This passage enters that discussion through time, power, self.