رجل يدري ويدري أنه يدري فذلك عالم فاتبعوه، ورجل يدري ولا يدري أنه يدري فذلك نائم فأيقظوه، ورجل لا يدري ويدري أنه لا يدري فذلك مسترشد فارشدوه، ورجل لا يدري ولا يدري أنه لا يدري فذلك جاهل فارفضوه
“The man who knows, and knows that he knows, he is learned, follow him.
Another is the man who knows, but knows not that he knows, he is asleep, awaken him.
A third is the man who know not, and knows that he knows not, he seeks guidance , so guide him.
A fourth is the man who knows not, and does not know that he knows not, he is a fool, shun him”.
رجل يدري ويدري أنه يدري فذلك عالم فاتبعوه، ورجل يدري ولا يدري أنه يدري فذلك نائم فأيقظوه، ورجل لا يدري ويدري أنه لا يدري فذلك مسترشد فارشدوه، ورجل لا يدري ولا يدري أنه لا يدري فذلك جاهل فارفضوه
“The man who knows, and knows that he knows, he is learned, follow him.
Another is the man who knows, but knows not that he knows, he is asleep, awaken him.
A third is the man who know not, and knows that he knows not, he seeks guidance , so guide him.
A fourth is the man who knows not, and does not know that he knows not, he is a fool, shun him”.
"Ihya Uloom Ad-Deen" of al-Ghazali (RA)
This is basically a Socratic sentiment. The last point ultimately is off, as is the second. It's probably a flat contradiction to know x, but not to know that one knows x. One knows this at least in potency. Furthermore, fools, in the sense above intended, most certainly are not to be shunned. This is the point of Socratic questioning: to enlighten the fool by showing him that he doesn't know the things that he thinks he knows. So, in point of fact, there are three kinds of men:
1. Those who know.
2. Those in a state of enlightened ignorance.
3. What Al-Ghazali calls fools.
In point of fact, the vast majority of men are fools.
Pardon me for the additional posting, but if I may follow up my previous points, in the same vein as the initial posting:
1. Listen attentively to the first and question them, that you may share in their wisdom.
2. The "great sea of the sciences" (Plato's symposium) and the higher form of dialectic is for the second form of men (at least, in the natural order).
3. The "lower" form of dialectic, i.e., the Socratic form of questioning, is for the third form of men (again, at least, in the natural order).
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