“Socrates’ way of life is the consequence of his recognition that we can know what it is that we do not know about the most important things and that we are by nature obliged to seek that knowledge.”
“Western Civ,” p. 18.
Giants and Dwarfs (1990)
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Allan Bloom 29
American philosopher, classicist, and academician 1930–1992Related quotes
“The most difficult thing is to know what we do know, and what we do not know.”
Source: Tertium Organum (1912; 1922), Ch. I
Context: The most difficult thing is to know what we do know, and what we do not know.
Therefore, desiring to know anything, we shall before all else determine WHAT we accept as given, and WHAT as demanding definition and proof; that is, determine WHAT we know already, and WHAT we wish to know.
In relation to the knowledge of the world and of ourselves, the conditions would be ideal could we venture to accept nothing as given, and count all as demanding definition and proof. In other words, it would be best to assume that we know nothing, and make this our point of departure.
But unfortunately such conditions are impossible to create. Knowledge must start from some foundation, something must be recognized as known; otherwise we shall be obliged always to define one unknown by means of another.
Source: Teaching Critical Thinking: Practical Wisdom
As quoted in Walden (1854) by Henry David Thoreau, Ch. 1
Attributed
Confucius, as quoted in Walden (1854) by Henry David Thoreau, Ch. 1
Misattributed
The Crown of Wild Olive, lecture IV: The Future of England, section 151 (1866).
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"Quotes", Late Notebooks, 1982–1990: Architecture of the Spiritual World (2002)
