Introduction
In a previous article, I wrote about omniscience. This time, I’d like to explore its counterpart — incomplete knowledge.
If “omniscience” symbolizes the power to know everything, then “incomplete knowledge” can be seen as an attitude toward knowledge itself — the awareness of knowing that we do not know.
The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates taught that recognizing one’s own ignorance is the very starting point of wisdom.
Today’s world, shaped by AI and digital technology, seems to bring us closer than ever to “knowing everything” — or at least to believing that we do.
Yet, it is precisely in this age that we must rediscover the Socratic wisdom of “knowing that we do not know.”
The Oracle of Delphi
One day, Socrates’ friend Chaerephon visited the temple of Delphi and asked the priestess:
“Who is the wisest person in the world?”
The oracle replied:
“It is Socrates.”
When Socrates heard this, he was astonished.
He thought, “That cannot be true — I am not wise.”
To uncover the true meaning of the oracle, he began speaking with politicians, poets, and craftsmen across Athens, questioning them about their knowledge.
Through these conversations, Socrates realized something:many people seemed to possess knowledge, but in reality, they merely believed they knew.
Finally, he arrived at a conclusion:
“The oracle did not mean that I am wiser than others.
It meant that I am wise only in this respect — that I know that I know nothing.”
What Does It Mean to “Know That You Don’t Know”?
Socrates often said, “I know that I know nothing.” This was not an expression of humility, but a statement of intellectual integrity.
To “know that you don’t know” is to recognize the limits of one’s understanding, and to make those limits the starting point for continued inquiry.
When we admit that we do not know, we clarify the boundaries of our knowledge and gain a compass for learning.
Conversely, when we assume that we already know, our thinking comes to a halt — a warning deeply embedded in Socratic philosophy.
For Socrates, the act of “knowing that you don’t know” was not about possessing answers, but about maintaining the courage to keep asking questions.
This awareness — often called the recognition of ignorance or Socratic wisdom — forms one of the essential pillars of his philosophy.
Recognizing Ignorance and Continuing to Ask
The reason I chose to write this article comes from a personal experience.
In our modern world, we are surrounded by tools — Google, AI, and others — that promise instant access to any information we need.
One day, while using these tools for work, I suddenly realized something unsettling: my own thinking had stopped.
Without noticing, I had begun outsourcing the act of thinking itself to these tools.
I was operating under the quiet assumption that “there must already be an answer somewhere,” and as a result, I had abandoned the process of thinking before even engaging with the problem.
That realization struck me with a sense of alarm.
No matter how powerful our tools become, if we lose the ability to think for ourselves and to formulate our own questions, we cannot truly know.
Since then, I have tried to think first with my own mind — and only when I reach a dead end do I turn to AI or search engines for help.
The convenience of modern tools hides a subtle danger: the quiet suspension of thought. Perhaps this is the new form of ignorance in our time.
That is why I believe it is more important than ever to recognize our ignorance — and to keep asking questions.
Thank you for reading.
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