Certainty Quote by Rene Descartes
“We call infinite that thing whose limits we have not perceived, and so by that word we do not signify what we understand about a thing, but rather what we do not understand.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Discourse on the Method, 1637
The term “infinite” is used for concepts beyond our current comprehension, highlighting our lack of understanding rather than what we know.
In simple terms: We label unknown limits as infinite, showing ignorance.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and explore the unknown.
Themes
philosophy
epistemology
language
knowledge
uncertainty
Mood
curious
reflective
Type
analytical
thought‑provoking
When to use this quote
- scientific research
- theoretical mathematics
- philosophical debate
- education
- personal growth
Key Concepts
metaphysics
conceptual limits
semantic ambiguity
Questions to Reflect On
- What limits do you assume are infinite?
- How can redefining “infinite” change your approach to learning?
A Different Perspective
The label can mislead, causing overestimation of what we can grasp.
![“[About Pierre de Fermat] It cannot be denied that he has had many exceptional ideas, and that he is a highly intelligent man. For my part, however, I have always been taught to take a broad overview of things, in order to be able to deduce from them general rules, which might be applicable…” quote by Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/588/ren-descartes-1376_able_about-pierre-de-fermat-it-cannot-be-deni_89929.jpg)
![“And what more am I? I look for aid to the imagination. [But how mistakenly!] I am not that assemblage of limbs we call the human body; I am not a subtle penetrating air distributed throughout all these members; I am not a wind, a fire, a vapor, a breath or anything at all that I can image. I am…” quote by René Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/207/ren-descartes-1376_human-body_and-what-more-am-i-i-look-for-aid-to-the_115493.jpg)
![“[I]f in other sciences we should arrive at certainty without doubt and truth without error, it behooves us to place the foundations of knowledge in mathematics, in so far as disposed through it we are able to reach certainty in other sciences and truth by the exclusion of error.” quote by Roger Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d13/roger-bacon-15067_able_i-f-in-other-sciences-we-should-arrive-a_24209.jpg)