I know that I know nothing

"I know that ..." - origin and history

• Even students use the quote “I know that I know nothing” - especially when they actually don't know anything. This is not about ignorance, but rather the sham knowledge that many people bring with them. So when you use this quote in the future, make sure you put it in the right context.
• The quote itself is often misused. Originally Socrates said "I know that I don't know". The quote can be traced back to Plato's apology (literary work on Socrates' defense speech ‘in front of the court, the has its origin in the court case against Socrates for ungodliness, in which the philosopher sentenced to death became).

I don't know anything - correct interpretation?

• Nowadays the quote “I know that I don't know” is often used in the context of the fact that they actually don't know anything. That is a modern but incorrect interpretation of the quote. The philosopher wanted to express something completely different with it.
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• It did not mean ignorance. Rather, Socrates followed the philosophical principles and questioned what is supposed to be there - knowledge. How do people want to know that they know something for sure? It could just as well be just an idea, a view that has not been clearly proven and thus perhaps does not even exist. But the person believes he knows that he has this knowledge. In reality it is just a view.
• So if you want to use this quote in the future, it will only be in connection with the fact that you think you know something but are not sure. So they most closely match the deeper purpose of the quote from Socrates.


Parable of the sun - informative

In the allegory of the sun, which can be traced back to the Greek philosopher Plato ...