The philosopher who famously said "What can I know?" in a meaningful philosophical sense is Immanuel Kant. He explored this question deeply in his work, especially in the "Critique of Pure Reason," where he investigates the limits and scope of human knowledge and concludes that we can only know things as they appear to us through our senses and understanding, not things as they are in themselves.
However, if the question "What can I know?" is considered more broadly in classical philosophy, Socrates is famously associated with the idea of knowing the limits of knowledge, encapsulated in the phrase "I know that I know nothing." This phrase emphasizes epistemic humility—recognizing the limits and uncertainty of human knowledge.
René Descartes also addressed knowledge with his foundational statement "I think, therefore I am," which affirms the certainty of self-existence as the starting point for knowledge.
In summary:
- Socrates stressed the recognition of human ignorance as a form of wisdom.
- Descartes began knowledge with the certainty of self-consciousness.
- Kant systematically asked "What can I know?" and concluded that knowledge is limited to experiences shaped by our faculties.
Thus, the philosopher most directly connected to the explicit question "What can I know?" in a systematic sense is Immanuel Kant, while Socrates is tied to the recognition of the limits of that knowledge. Descartes provides a starting certainty for knowledge with self-awareness. All three are key figures in the philosophy of knowledge.
