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Education Quote by William Blake

"The true method of knowledge is experiment"

About this Quote

William Blake’s assertion that the true method of knowledge is experiment places experiential learning at the heart of understanding. Rather than relying solely on inherited wisdom, dogma, or abstract theories, Blake champions a direct engagement with the world. To experiment is to actively venture into the unknown, to test beliefs, ideas, and hypotheses through real-world application and personal experience. This perspective challenges passive acceptance of knowledge and prioritizes discovery, doubt, and the willingness to be corrected by reality itself.

Blake’s insight anticipates the spirit of scientific inquiry, where knowledge is built through observation, experimentation, and validation. Yet, his view need not be confined to the laboratory or the sciences. For Blake, experiment encompasses all forms of experience, artistic, spiritual, social, or personal. He suggests that truth emerges not when one accepts the prescribed, but when one dares to try, to enact, to create, and to observe outcomes for oneself. Through this process, error is not to be feared but embraced as part of learning; genuine understanding is achieved when knowledge is put to the test and proven in practice.

Furthermore, Blake’s view reflects a deep trust in individual perception and creativity. He places value on the unique insights gained through firsthand involvement. By advocating experiment as the avenue to truth, he invites a kind of intellectual courage, resisting complacency, facing uncertainty, and remaining open to transformation. Knowledge, for Blake, is dynamic, living, and provisional; it grows and adapts through the process of engagement.

Such a philosophy resists dogmatism and encourages innovation. It empowers individuals to move beyond rote learning, to engage with curiosity and skepticism, and to continually reevaluate what they know. Ultimately, Blake elevates experiment not only as a means to knowledge but as a vital expression of human freedom and creativity.

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TopicKnowledge
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The true method of knowledge is experiment
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About the Author

William Blake

William Blake (November 28, 1757 - August 12, 1827) was a Poet from England.

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