Q0009
“It is through wonder that people both now begin and first began…” — Aristotle (Metaphysics I.2, 982b12–13)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Metaphysics I.2, 982b12–13. Theme: inquiry.
English
It is through wonder that people both now begin and first began to philosophize.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Metaphysics I.2, 982b12–13 and files it under Peripatetic School. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Aristotle
Aristotle (384–322 BCE) was a Greek philosopher born in Stagira in Macedonia, the son of a court physician. At about seventeen he entered Plato’s Academy in Athens and remained associated with it until Plato’s death in 347.
How to read this passage
Socratic elenchus, scientific method, and pragmatist experimentalism treat inquiry as self-correcting. The ethics of inquiry asks for intellectual honesty. This passage enters that discussion through inquiry.
Concepts in this quote
- Inquiry
- Inquiry is the disciplined pursuit of better questions and answers—philosophy as method rather than dogma.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Aristotle. (n.d.). It is through wonder that people both now begin and first began to philosophize. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0009
MLA: Aristotle. “It is through wonder that people both now….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0009.
Chicago: Aristotle. “It is through wonder that people both now….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0009.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “It is through wonder that people both now…”?
The passage is attributed to Aristotle, Metaphysics I.2, 982b12–13. The archive attributes this English wording to Metaphysics I.2, 982b12–13 and files it under Peripatetic School. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Aristotle mean by inquiry?
Socratic elenchus, scientific method, and pragmatist experimentalism treat inquiry as self-correcting. The ethics of inquiry asks for intellectual honesty. This passage enters that discussion through inquiry.