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Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.

Confucius, Analects 2.17 (paraphrase)

Philosophy

The story behind the card

The idea is genuinely Confucius's; the wording is a modern tightening. In the Analects (2.17) he speaks to his disciple Zilu, known for his courage and impulsiveness: when you know a thing, hold that you know it; when you do not, admit that you do not. That, he says, is knowledge. Elsewhere in the Analects Confucius often reins in Zilu's rashness, so the advice fits the listener. The lesson is to keep a clear line between what you know and what you are only guessing.

Türkçe oku
Gerçek bilgi, insanın ne kadar çok şey bilmediğinin farkında olmasıdır.
Konfüçyüs, Konuşmalar 2.17 (serbest aktarım)

Düşünce gerçekten Konfüçyüs'ündür; bugünkü ifade ise onun modern ve daha kısa bir özetidir. Konuşmalar'da (2.17) Konfüçyüs, cesareti ve atılganlığıyla bilinen öğrencisi Zilu'ya şöyle der: Bir şeyi biliyorsan bildiğini kabul et, bilmiyorsan bilmediğini söyle; bilgi budur. Konuşmalar'ın başka yerlerinde de Konfüçyüs, Zilu'nun aceleciliğini sık sık frenler; öğüt, dinleyene göre seçilmiştir. Buradaki ders, bilinenle yalnızca tahmin edilen arasındaki çizgiyi net tutmaktır.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Confucius
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