"The small part of ignorance that we arrange and classify we give the name of knowledge"
- Ambrose Bierce
About this Quote
This quote by Ambrose Bierce speaks to the idea that understanding is limited and subjective. He recommends that what we consider to be knowledge is only a little part of the bigger image of ignorance. We set up and classify this small part of lack of knowledge, offering it the name of knowledge. This suggests that knowledge is not outright, however rather a construct of our own making. It is a method of organizing and comprehending the world around us, however it is not the only method. Bierce is recommending that understanding is restricted and that there is far more to find out and understand beyond what we have already categorized. He is encouraging us to look beyond what we already understand and to explore the unknown. He is suggesting that knowledge is not the end-all-be-all, but rather a stepping stone to greater understanding.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"