Knowledge Quote by Plato
““Whenever someone, on seeing something, realizes that that which he now sees wants to be like some other reality but falls short and cannot be like that other since it is inferior, do we agree that one who thinks this must have prior knowledge of that to which he says it is like, but deficiently so?””
About This Quote
Source Dialogue: Theaetetus (attributed) by Plato, c. 369 BC
The passage questions whether recognizing a deficiency in an object requires prior knowledge of the ideal, implying that comparison presupposes an imagined perfect form.
In simple terms: Seeing flaws implies knowing an ideal.
Key Takeaway
Seek understanding of true forms before judging.
Themes
philosophy
epistemology
perception
idealism
Mood
inquisitive
analytical
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- art criticism
- product design
- ethical evaluation
Key Concepts
theory of forms
comparative judgment
Questions to Reflect On
- What standards do you use to assess quality?
- Can you recognize an ideal without having experienced it?
A Different Perspective
Our judgments may be limited by incomplete knowledge of the ideal.
![“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)
