“As for me, all I know is that I know nothing.”

—  Socrates

See All I know is that I know nothing on Wikipedia for a detailed account of the origins of this attribution.

μοι νυνὶ γέγονεν ἐκ τοῦ διαλόγου μηδὲν εἰδέναι· ὁπότε γὰρ τὸ δίκαιον μὴ οἶδα ὅ ἐστιν, σχολῇ εἴσομαι εἴτε ἀρετή τις οὖσα τυγχάνει εἴτε καὶ οὔ, καὶ πότερον ὁ ἔχων αὐτὸ οὐκ εὐδαίμων ἐστὶν ἢ εὐδαίμων.

Hence the result of the discussion, as far as I'm concerned, is that I know nothing, for when I don't know what justice is, I'll hardly know whether it is a kind of virtue or not, or whether a person who has it is happy or unhappy.

Republic, 354b-c (conclusion of book I), as translated by M.A. Grube in Republic (Grube Edition) (1992) revised by C.D.C. Reeve, p. 31

Confer Apology 21d (see above), Theaetetus 161b (see above) and Meno 80d1-3: "So now I do not know what virtue is; perhaps you knew before you contacted me, but now you are certainly like one who does not know."

Confer Cicero, Academica, Book I, section 1 http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2007.01.0032%3Abook%3D1: "ipse se nihil scire id unum sciat ("He himself thinks he knows one thing, that he knows nothing"). Often quoted as "scio me nihil scire" or "scio me nescire." A variant is found in von Kues, De visione Dei, XIII, 146 (Werke, Walter de Gruyter, 1967, p. 312): "...et hoc scio solum, quia scio me nescire... [I know alone, that (or because) I know, that I do not know]." In the modern era, the Latin quote was back-translated to Greek as "ἓν οἶδα ὅτι οὐδὲν οἶδα", hèn oîda hóti oudèn oîda).

Confer Diogenes Laertius, II.32 (see above)
Misattributed

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 28, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "As for me, all I know is that I know nothing." by Socrates?
Socrates photo
Socrates 168
classical Greek Athenian philosopher -470–-399 BC

Related quotes

Walt Whitman photo

“And as to me, I know nothing else but miracles”

Source: Leaves of Grass

Donald J. Trump photo

“I know nothing about Russia. I know — I know about Russia, but I know nothing about the inner workings of Russia.”

Donald J. Trump (1946) 45th President of the United States of America

2010s, 2016, October, Second presidential debate (October 9, 2016)

Will Cuppy photo

“I only know that all is lost, and that nothing can help me unless I inherit money, strike oil or go to work.”

Will Cuppy (1884–1949) American writer

Coffee, Please!
How to Be a Hermit (1929)

Frank Miller photo
Pete Doherty photo

“I defy you all
To know twice as much as nothing at all
It's still nothing at all.”

Pete Doherty (1979) English musician, writer, actor, poet and artist

"A'Rebours"
Lyrics and poetry

Fernando Pessoa photo

“I think of life as an inn where I have to stay until the abyss coach arrives. I don't know where it will take me, for I know nothing.”

A Factless Autobiography, Richard Zenith Edition, Lisbon, 2006, p. 40
The Book of Disquiet
Original: Considero a vida uma estalagem onde tenho que me demorar até que chegue a diligência do abismo. Não sei onde ela me levará, porque não sei nada.

Catherine of Genoa photo
Ford Madox Ford photo
Jonathan Swift photo

“I know nothing of music; I would not give a farthing for all the music in the universe.”

Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, and poet

Observations on Lord Orrery's Remarks on Life of Swift, Delany, (1754), p. 192.
Disputed

Related topics