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.
ProtagorasRead
As to the gods, I have no means of knowing either that they exist or do not exist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the uncertainty of knowledge regarding the existence of gods.
Protagoras suggests that human beings are incapable of definitively knowing whether gods exist or not. This highlights the limitations of human perception and reason in matters of the divine, emphasizing a stance of skepticism and the philosophical inquiry into belief and knowledge.
Themes
GodsExistenceKnowledgeSkepticismBelief
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about faith and spirituality, one might use this quote to express uncertainty about religious beliefs.
More from Protagoras
All quotes βAs to gods, I have no way of knowing either that they exist or do not exist, or what they are like.
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.
ProtagorasRead
Many things prevent knowledge, including the obscurity of the subject and the brevity of human life
ProtagorasRead
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