Errare humanum est, or the path to the truth is through an error

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Errare humanum est!Latin aphorism, sayings of great orator Seneca the Elder Mark, known throughout the world and it means that the error - is the path to the truth.Why is this aphorism is still relevant for the ages?We will try to answer this question.

error - property laws

To err is human.We all heard it once.The world-famous Latin aphorism - Errare humanum est - has no analogues in Russian: "Do not mistake the one who does nothing."The personal experience in scientific discoveries, the scale of the whole community can be incorporated mistake.The question is in the degree of responsibility for it.

Indeed, to the progressive development, the error is simply necessary.What is its nature?This ignorance, the region, the scope of the experiment with the boundaries of knowledge.If a person knows to solve issues, for it will not be difficult to choose the best way of development.Not important scale, this applies to both the individual and society as a whole.

Nature

mistakes in its development man consistently overcomes own borders.Therefore, it is difficult given human cognition.It does not matter, it is practical (how to do something) or a process of spiritual growth.In the process of selecting a person commits an act.He always chooses.But it is not always correct.And the cost of failure is different.Hence another saying: "Man is so punishing yourself as no one else can do it."

nature of the error is hidden in the mechanism of cognition: Errare humanum est!Error - ignorance of a better option.But precisely because it opens up new prospects and opportunities.Previous knowledge is always fraught with the risk of a wrong choice, but there is no other option.Experiment - this is the truth test solutions, any hypothesis is confirmed by experience.

History knows a lot of facts when repeated failures in experiments led to the discovery of world size.

historical mistakes

Stories are cases where the error was the cause of global discovery.For example, an error in the trajectory of Columbus' voyage to discover America gave a chance.

erroneous principle of socialist equality, laid the foundation of the Soviet state, showed the example of the power of ideological foundation of society.

error is not always the truth.Most often it reveals shortcomings in knowledge, our limited capabilities and is an incentive to find a better option.In this sense we can also speak about the creative power of error.

Errare humanum est!The translation of this Latin expression literally reads: "The error inherent to human nature."Indeed, all the way to the development of Homo sapiens - a movement to nature, to the knowledge of himself, the process of self-improvement.And the original principle of the imperfections of his nature is a priori recognition of mistakes in the choice of scenarios.

Analogs

expression in the works of Russian literature there is a lot of similar meaning, intensive content statements:

  • "Do not mistake the one who does nothing."
  • "Learn from the mistakes."
  • "Error - the right decision under other circumstances."

rich in content and the words of the great figures of the world, who have every right to say an error, because their contribution to the development of human society is immeasurable:

  • "Freedom is nothing if excluded the right to make mistakes" (Gandhi).
  • "the majority is always wrong, the truth - in a minority" (Ibsen).
  • "Smart people not only the wrong, but it gives a chance to the other" (Churchill).

All the statements have the same meaning: the recognition of the error is a condition for freedoms, everyone has the right to act in this way.

As Chesterfield: "The fear of the possibility of error should not alienate us from the search for truth."