"The only thing I know is that I know nothing." Is this quote by Socra

Question: "The only thing I know is that I know nothing!." Is this quote by Socrates contradictory!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Knowing that you know nothing is an expanded consciousness!. The knowingness is consciousness that doesn't have cognitive memory of anything!. So knowing is the direct consciousness of reality that doesn't have the interference of images from memory!. And saying you know that you know nothing isn't the same as just saying you know nothing, so it isn't a contradiction!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Its the reason why socrates was one of the smartest/wisest people to ever live - he never believed anything without being able to prove it first!.

What everyone else "knew" to be true he did not believe to be true until he could prove it, and so he said that he knew nothing!. He's not literally saying he knows nothing, he's saying that he doesn't believe anything that he's told until he can prove it to be as such!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

yes but its also said by many other people including me i must confess !.!. do you mean what!? its a good thing or not!? I'm not sure why you ask, i think its a great thing if we put ourselves on pedestals like that we now 'everything' its dangerous cos you have to live up to that if you are well bless if not but you trying bless to if you are a sheep and run after the once you think they are right i give you the benefit off doubt if you are just a bully backstabbing or lying, no i will come across you one day!.!. if you think you can get away with 'murder' and do nothing for the better you will meet your appoint mendWww@QuestionHome@Com

I don't know!.
But it may be thought that all a-priori knowledge is not knowing, unless it has reference to things in the outside world, but then it would be a-posteriori knowledge, and thus synthetic (Kant), and any a-posteriori synthetic knowledge may be doubted!.
I do not think that way but maybe that is the way Socrates thought, not sure!.
And what of ostensive knowledge, I would think that Socrates would personally have accepted all ostensive knowledge,
and that his statement is refering to a-posteriori knowledge and knowledge of truth!.
Good question!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No!. "I" cannot know as long as it identifies with what it is not!. "I" in most people identify with form!. It is actually misidentification with ego/mind/body/personality, which can only "know about " something through perception which isn't the same as knowing!. To know is to become the known!. The mind "knows about" China from books and documentaries but to go to China and know what it like be in China is quite different!.

The contradiction is the mind and its limited duality which presumes it knows and the presumptions of the consistency and certainty of form!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

No, in my opinion this is the best thing he said!.

It means that everybody is ignorant and that we don't know sh*t in relationship of all that we could know but at least we know that we don't know it, and thats why our wisdom is infinite!.

think in this: somebody can say that we are are just an alien's ant farm, but the difference between we and ants is that we can think about the possibility of being a farmWww@QuestionHome@Com

No because he is saying that a person could not be totally sure about there knowledge it may be a well developed and researched theory but that is all it is a theory based on the world we live in, what is fact here could be different in other placesWww@QuestionHome@Com

The proper quote is "One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing!."

And put into proper context, no I don't believe it is a contradictory!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It's not really contradictory!. I guess it depends how you read it - obviously he DOES know something, that he knows nothing!. Yet that "only thing" may MEAN nothing

I think it's down to your own interpretation!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

it is internally inconsistent; and it makes no sense!. A contradiction would be "I know everything and I know nothing!."Www@QuestionHome@Com

no, it is an admittance!.!.!.!.!.!.!.a thought provoking self realization, an understanding, but not a contradictionWww@QuestionHome@Com

obviously, but it still serves a point!. AKA paradox!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Yes!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

hmmmm!.!.!.!.!.thats very interesting!.!.!.!.i would say yes!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com