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Richard Walker

Sapere aude

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I’d never heard this before today but stumbled across it.

It originates with the Latin poet Horace, but was taken up by Immanuel Kant in response to the challenge: “What is the Enlightenment?” Usually it’s translated as “Dare to know”; the sapere part means “To know” (think sapient pearwood in Terry Pratchett) and aude as in “audacity”). In Latin word order didn’t matter (much); which is why it (misleadingly) looks like “To dare, know” in English. 

There’s the background. What do you think? Should we dare to know? What is the alternative?

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