Sapere Aude
/saˈpeː.re ˈau̯.de/noun
A Latin phrase meaning “dare to know,” used as an exhortation to pursue knowledge and think independently.
Did you know?The phrase comes from Horace’s poetry and was later adopted by Immanuel Kant as the rallying cry of the Enlightenment: have the courage to use your own understanding.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sep-
“To notice, perceive, or understand; the ancestral root associated with Latin sapere.”
Classical Latin
Latin
sapere
“To taste; by extension, to have good sense or wisdom, and eventually to know.”
Classical Latin
Latin
audēre
“To dare, be bold, or have the courage to act.”
1st Century BCE
Latin
sapere aude
““Dare to know,” appearing in Horace’s Epistles as an encouragement to begin thinking and acting for oneself.”
18th Century
German and Latin
sapere aude
“Immanuel Kant revived the phrase as the motto of Enlightenment: the courage to use one’s own reason.”
Modern English
English
Sapere Aude
“A learned motto used by universities, organizations, and individuals to symbolize intellectual courage and independent thought.”