The famous phrase attributed to Socrates generates an intense debate and raises a lot of curiosity about its meaning. As Socrates left no writings, it is impossible to say whether the philosopher actually uttered this sentence.
It is true that “I only know that I know nothing” is in line with his philosophy. The phrase, understood as something good, sums up the importance he gave to critical thinking, uncertainty and awareness of one's own ignorance.
Knowing that you don't know is not a "defect", but the basis for abandoning the opinion (doxa) and the search for true knowledge (episteme), purpose of philosophy.
Why is awareness of ignorance important in the quest for knowledge?
For Socrates, true knowledge arose from the abandonment of common sense and opinion. The particular character of opinions opposes the universality of knowledge.
Thus, everyone who supports knowledge in opinions, is satisfied with a false knowledge and turns away from the truth. The philosopher understands that it is necessary to question certainties, opinions and prejudices.
Thus, it created a mode based on critical questions that expose the inconsistencies of the doxa, causing false certainties to be abandoned and the awareness of "not-knowing", of ignorance itself.
From this awareness, the individual is ready to seek, in himself, new answers that will lead him to the truth. This movement was called the "Socratic method".
In the Socratic method, irony is responsible for becoming aware of one's ignorance and maieutics (the birth of the idea) is the search for the concept, or for the truth.
Thus, the phrase "I only know that I know nothing" represents a wisdom similar to that achieved after the first movement of the Socratic method (the irony). For the philosopher, knowing you don't know is preferable to knowing badly.
Even if it's little: I don't believe I know what I don't know.
(Plato, Apology of Socrates)
What is the story behind the phrase “I only know that I don't know”?
The phrase is Socrates' response to the message of the oracle of Apollo given to his friend Cherphony at Delphi, who claimed that he was the wisest among Greek men.
The philosopher would have questioned this condition of wiser, when in Greek society, there were several authorities recognized by his knowledge.
So he devoted his life to investigating what it was to be wise and true knowledge. To do this, he questioned the Greek authorities and demonstrated that what was understood as wisdom was nothing more than opinions supported by common sense.
This behavior of Socrates, made him enemies among the powerful of Athens, often exposed to ridicule by Socratic irony.
The discontent and repudiation of the figure of Socrates in the most influential circles of Athenian politics culminated in his trial and death sentence. After his sentence is defined, the philosopher still leaves one more lesson:
But now is the time to go: me to death, you to life. Who among us follows the best course, no one knows, except the gods.
(Plato, Apology of Socrates)
See too:
- Socrates
- know yourself
- Socratic Method: Irony and Maieutics
- 20 quotes from philosophers to help with the writing of the Enem
