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Single Idea 20897

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / C. Rationalism / 1. Rationalism]

Full Idea

There are two forms of knowledge [gnomé], the one genuine, the other obscure. And to the obscure one belongs all of these: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch. The other is genuine, and is separated from this one.

Gist of Idea

Obscure knowledge belongs to the five senses, and genuine knowledge is the other type

Source

Democritus (fragments/reports [c.431 BCE], B011), quoted by Sextus Empiricus - Against the Logicians (two books) 7.139

A Reaction

[Sextus goes on to make it clear that the 'genuine' one is knowledge acquired by thought]. I take Parmenides to be the first rationalist. It is interesting that Democritus, who devoted his life to finding causal explanations, seems to be a rationalist.

Book Reference

Democritus: 'Early Greek Phil VII: Democritus', ed/tr. Laks,A/Most,G [Harvard Loeb 2016], p.79

Related Idea

Idea 20892 Democritus was devoted to discovering causal explanations [Democritus, by Eusebius]