We know nothing about anything? Do you agree?

Question

try and assure yourself of what exactly the word "know" means, do we know anything? About anything? Is anything definate? Words are just symbols of communication, they mean nothing.

Answer 1

I have long believed that I know nothing.
Every source of information we get could be false.
I do not even know that 'I' exist, I believe I think therefore I believe that I think I am.
I cannot prove that anyone else sees colour as I see what I call colour. I cannot prove that anyone else exists.

I thought I knew a little,
Then I thought I knew a lot;
Then I thought I knew most everything,
But I did not.

For the more you know,
The less you know;
And the less you know, the more,
I believe that I know nothing,
But I can never know for sure.


I am able to cope in the world because I still believe in many things, I just do not call that believe knowledge. I can understand maths, but I do not believe that 1 + 1 always equals 2.

Answer 2

The word KNOW means that we possess information about something, no matter how small or unimportant it is, respectively we possess every available information in the subject or we possess all the information we were able to receive. KNOW means that you possess information about something in one, in more or in all of it's aspects. However there is always a different aspect represented by another viewpoint. Knowledge is relative and infinite, since there is always an other viewpoint. We cannot analyze the facts or the truth from all of it's aspects, since even if only you know about it, there can be always fictive viewpoints and their number is infinite.

How do you define TRUTH? A common statement that explains everything? Actually truth is a statement that makes an other statement true. Like an equation: 4 + b = 5. In this case TRUTH (b) = 1, or (-1)×(-1). The truth you are looking for actually depends on your question and it's always changing. Maybe you know what the truth is concerning a topic, but if only one detail changes, the truth may become false. Knowledge is infinite because the variants of the truth are also infinite. Why? Because even if you have only 10 characteristics of a situation, you cannot remain an observer: you can always add an other option that changes everything. Possibility and impossibility depends on the circumstances of the action. For example you cannot fly in Canada, but you can fly in space. The real truth cannot be reached, because there is no common truth. It changes with the world around us. As human beings, we barely begun to understand the complexity of our world. But actually no-one can say, that god is all knowing at any time. Ascending into a higher plane of existence - if it is possible - is merely the beginning of learning more. And one more thing. Every time you say you know the truth, you actually do not know it. You only conclude it, and this conclusion is based on the informations you already possess as well as other conclusions you made before. Truth is a hidden thing for all of us. But general truth does not exist. If it did, It wouldn't be TRUE that we have our own free will in life. What did I say.... It wouldn't be TRUE? .. never mind :-)

"Words are just symbols of communication, they mean nothing." ... WRONG... they mean something because they are symbols: symbol has a form and a meaning. Form is what we sense with any of our senses. Meaning is what we think or recall from our memories when we sense the symbol.

"Is anything definite?" ... NO... at least not from our viewpoint. Not to mention the fact that everything is changing all the time.

EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND US IS ONLY A MATTER OF VIEWPOINTS.

Find your viewpoint and you will find your answers as well.

Answer 3

I guess math is the only thing that we can profess to know - 1+1=2, if we define all the numbers as we do, then indeed math is a self contained universe in which you can consider certain bits of knowledge absolute. 1+1=2 is absolute - everything could come to a crashing halt and that would remain. In my opinion everything else is based on theory, which indeed could all be turned upside down by some revelation tomorrow. Descartes goes into this magnificently if I'm not mistaken - to fully comprehend all his arguments with any fairly decent degree of certitude is. in truth, beyond me.

Along those lines, the cogito is pretty well a bit of absolute knowledge too I guess. "I think, therefore I am". That whole work spins from there, and indeed he makes compelling arguments for knowledge of things, but again, I would agree that in no way can we be certain of anything that we know - other than that (although honestly, and we're talking along the lines of 'degrees of infinity' here, I would say that that, while certain is less certain than the things which are considered absolutely true in mathematics), and math, the rest is all about learning, piecing together, and inferring.

A bit of a scary thought, but on the opposite side of that sword is one of the most compelling reasons for the great depths of varied opinions, ideas, and thoughts that exist in this world.

Answer 4

we can know logic, and we can confrm our own existence by "i think therefore i am".

we can also know mathematics, and we can also know that we dont know.

if you want to get even MORE technical we can also confirm the existence of others with the use of language. and yes you are right they are symbold of communication. but they mean EVERYTHING because we think linguisticaly. a single person alone cannot use the symbold or language without an other mind. it would not be possible to have a language without others. it is necesserily social and objectual

Answer 5

Descartes said we can only be sure that three things exist:

1. Myself
I think therefore I am
ie. mine is the only mind I know to exist

2. God
-He proved the existence of God through logic:
Existence is a perfection; it is better to exist than not to exist. God has all perfections.
Therefore God exists.

3. Maths - 1+1 = 2

Answer 6

No.

We have to know something about something. You can't know nothing about anything or you wouldn't even be able to type the question! You obviously know the language, grammar etc. We can't know everything about everything but we always know something about something. Even knowing that you don't know is knowledge! :) Words do mean something. They represent objects, feelings, thoughts.

Answer 7

I am assured that knowing what I know today could be progressed tomorrow onto a new level - I do get your point though.

Answer 8

We know some things about some things but by no means everything about anything.

Answer 9

You KNOW lots, you are comunicating here. Think positively.
If words mean nothing, what are you using 30 odd words to say?

Answer 10

Well thats a very negative view of the world I think.

I always thought that philosophy was a striving to learn about one's world, not to give up because we think it is impossible to "know" anything.

I agree that things are for ever changing, but that simply means that our knowledge changes with it, not that we don't understand.