Q0323
“All human beings by nature desire to know.” — Aristotle (Metaphysics I.1, 980a21)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Metaphysics I.1, 980a21. Theme: knowledge.
English
All human beings by nature desire to know.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Metaphysics I.1, 980a21 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
Epistemology asks whether knowledge is justified true belief, reliable tracking of the world, or something else; it also asks how perception, testimony, memory, and reason contribute. This passage enters that discussion through knowledge, nature, wisdom.
Concepts in this quote
- Knowledge
- Knowledge is the philosophical study of what we can justifiably claim to know—and where certainty ends.
- Nature
- Philosophy quotes about nature ask what the cosmos is, how humans belong in it, and whether “natural” can guide ethics or politics.
- Wisdom
- Wisdom is practical insight under uncertainty: knowing what matters, what one does not know, and how to act without false certainty.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Aristotle. (n.d.). All human beings by nature desire to know. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0323
MLA: Aristotle. “All human beings by nature desire to know..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0323.
Chicago: Aristotle. “All human beings by nature desire to know..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0323.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “All human beings by nature desire to know.”?
The passage is attributed to Aristotle, Metaphysics I.1, 980a21. The archive attributes this English wording to Metaphysics I.1, 980a21 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 knowledge?
Epistemology asks whether knowledge is justified true belief, reliable tracking of the world, or something else; it also asks how perception, testimony, memory, and reason contribute. This passage enters that discussion through knowledge, nature, wisdom.