As to the gods, I have no means of knowing either that they exist or do not exist.
ProtagorasRead
Concerning the gods, I have no means of knowing either that they exist or that they do not exist, nor what sort of form they may have; there are many reasons why knowledge on this subject is not possible, owing to the lack of evidence and the shortness of human life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses uncertainty about the existence of gods and the limitations of human knowledge.
Protagoras reflects on the philosophical dilemma regarding the existence of deities, suggesting that human understanding is constrained by the brevity of life and the absence of definitive evidence. He posits that the nature of gods, if they do exist, remains beyond our grasp, emphasizing the limits of human inquiry and the challenges inherent in exploring metaphysical questions.
Themes
KnowledgeExistencePhilosophyUncertaintyGods
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the limits of human understanding in a philosophy class.
More from Protagoras
All quotes →Everyone, including the Athenians [...] are right to accept advice from anyone, since it is incumbent on everyone to share in that sort of excellence, or else there can be no city at all.
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As to gods, I have no way of knowing either that they exist or do not exist, or what they are like.
ProtagorasRead
Many things prevent knowledge, including the obscurity of the subject and the brevity of human life
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