Sapere aude

Sapere aude is Latin and means ( in the well-known interpretation of Kant ): " Have courage to use your own understanding " literally means the saying about: Dare to be wise!

Origin

The quote is from the Epistles ( letters ) of the Latin poet Horace ( Epist. I, 2.40) and is there: Dimidium facti, qui coepit all were, : Sapere aude, incipe.

The first part of the quotation itself has gained Proverbs character: "Fresh is daring half the battle! ". The closer to the Latin form transmission reads: " Who ( first time ) has begun has (so ) traded already half! "

The second part of the quotation literally reads "Dare to be wise! " Where aude the imperative singular of audere (Latin: "Dare ," " will," " covet " ) and sapere (Latin: actually " taste ", Wz sap, " taste ", " smell", "remember", OHG int - Sebjan, " notice ", in a figurative sense "wisdom gain ", "understand" ) the infinitive in this construction.

The third part: incipe is also an imperative singular and means: " ( Now) to start " (from incipere )

Motto of the Enlightenment

This quote made ​​famous by the above-mentioned translation of Immanuel Kant in his essay answering the question: What is Enlightenment in 1784 as a guiding principle of the Enlightenment. This description of the exclamation sapere aude has not established itself as the standard translation.

Friedrich Schiller led the quote was "much important expression " of an "old ways " in the 8th letter of his treatise On the Aesthetic Education of Man in 1795 and translated it with " make bold you to be wise. "

In general, Sapere aude with "Dare to be wise! " Or " Dare to know! " Translated.