“To convince someone of the truth, it is not enough to state it, but rather one must find the path from error to truth.”

Source: 1930s-1951, Philosophical Occasions 1912-1951 (1993), Ch. 7 : Remarks on Frazer's Golden Bough, p. 119

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Sept. 27, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "To convince someone of the truth, it is not enough to state it, but rather one must find the path from error to truth." by Ludwig Wittgenstein?
Ludwig Wittgenstein photo
Ludwig Wittgenstein 228
Austrian-British philosopher 1889–1951

Related quotes

Hans Reichenbach photo
Sigmund Freud photo

“From error to error, one discovers the entire truth.”

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) Austrian neurologist known as the founding father of psychoanalysis
Peter Mere Latham photo

“It is no easy task to pick one's way from truth to truth through besetting errors.”

Peter Mere Latham (1789–1875) English physician and educator

Book II, p. 415.
Collected Works

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe photo

“It is as certain as it is marvelous that truth and error come from one source. Therefore one often may not injure error, because at the same time one injures truth.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German writer, artist, and politician

Es ist so gewiß als wunderbar, daß Wahrheit und Irrthum aus Einer Quelle entstehen; deßwegen man oft dem Irrthum nicht schaden darf, weil man zugleich der Wahrheit schadet.
Maxims and Reflections (1833)

Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle photo

“It is more reasonable to remove error from truth, than to venerate error because it is mix'd with truth.”

Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle (1657–1757) French writer, satirist and philosopher of enlightenment

p, 125
The History of Oracles, and the Cheats of the Pagan Priests (1688)

Leo Tolstoy photo
Patrick Rothfuss photo
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe photo

“Error is related to truth as sleeping is to waking. I have observed that when one has been in error, one turns to truth as though revitalized.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German writer, artist, and politician

Der Irrthum verhält sich gegen das Wahre wie der Schlaf gegen das Wachen. Ich habe bemerkt, daß man aus dem Irren sich wie erquickt wieder zu dem Wahren hinwende.
Maxim 331, trans. Stopp
Maxims and Reflections (1833)

Thomas Paine photo

“It is error only, and not truth, that shrinks from inquiry.”

Thomas Paine (1737–1809) English and American political activist

The complete political works. Rights of man: being an answer to Mr. Burke's attack on the French Revolution, p. 306
1790s

Dan Brown photo

“sometimes to find truth one must move mountains -Kohler”

Source: Angels & Demons

Related topics