What does it mean?
Being aware of the limits of our knowledge is the starting point of real inquiry.
Closest English saying: I know that I know nothing.
What does it literally say?
Εν οίδα ότι ουδέν οίδα
En ída óti oudén ída
“One thing I know: that I know nothing.”
A famous later condensation of Socrates’ attitude to knowledge. It should not automatically be presented as a word-for-word passage of Plato.
How is it used?
“The more I study, the more I realise what I don’t know. One thing I know: that I know nothing.”
Where does it come from?
Socratic philosophical tradition, in a later shortened wording. The historical attribution of the exact phrase has not yet been checked against a critical edition or primary source for this entry.
This is an English edition of the Greek entry, which remains the reference version. The English text was written from the Greek entry with the help of AI tools and checked against it. Suggest a correction ↗