Knowledge Quote by John Duns Scotus
““If all men by nature desire to know, then they desire most of all the greatest knowledge of science. And he immediately indicates what the greatest science is, namely the science which is about those things that are most knowable. But there are two senses in which things are said to be maximally knowable: either because they are the first of all things known and without them nothing else can be known; or because they are what are known most certainly. In either way, however, this science is about the most knowable. Therefore, this most of all is a science and, consequently, most desirable.””
About This Quote
Humans naturally desire knowledge, especially the most knowable; which is the greatest science and thus highly desirable.
In simple terms: People seek the most understandable knowledge.
Key Takeaway
Pursue clear, foundational understanding.
Themes
knowledge
philosophy
science
desire
Mood
inquisitive
philosophical
Type
Knowledge:1
Nature:1
Religion-and-philosophy:1
Science:1
Greatest Science:1
Greatest Knowledge:1
Science Knowable:1
Knowable Science:1
Science Consequently:1
Things Knowable:1
When to use this quote
- education
- research
- personal growth
- career planning
Key Concepts
epistemology
metaphysics
human nature
Questions to Reflect On
- What is the most knowable thing to you?
- How does desire for knowledge shape your life?
A Different Perspective
Some truths may remain unknowable.
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
