Confucius' Quote 'To Know You Know' Unveiled: How Ancient Epistemic Humility Shapes AI, Bayesian Science, and Modern Truth-Seeking
知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也。——孔子(zhī zhī wéi zhī zhī, bù zhī wéi bù zhī, shì zhī yě — Kǒngzǐ) Translation: “To know you know, and know you don’t know—that is true knowing.” Explanation: Confucius’ dictum “To know you know, and know you don’t know—that is true knowing” crystallizes an epistemology of radical intellectual humility. Far from advocating ignorance, this paradox reframes knowledge as a dynamic process of self-awareness. By distinguishing between verified understanding and acknowledged uncertainty, it establishes a mental framework for resisting cognitive arrogance—a concept that would later underpin the scientific method’s emphasis on falsifiability. This “negative capability” philosophy predates Socrates’ famous “I know that I know nothing” by decades, yet diverges in cultural impact. While Socratic questioning sought external truths through dialogue,...
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