Errare humanum est, or The path to truth lies through a mistake

Errare humanum est! The Latin aphorism, pronounced by the great orator Mark Seneca the Elder, is known throughout the world and means that error is the path to truth. Why does this aphorism remain relevant for centuries? We will try to answer this question.

Error - property of regularity

Humans tend to make mistakes. We all heard it once. The Latin aphorism known all over the world - Errare humanum est - has an analogue in the Russian language: "No one who does nothing makes mistakes". In personal experience, in scientific discoveries, a mistake can be laid throughout the community. The question is in the degree of responsibility for it.

Indeed, in order for progressive development to take place, a mistake is simply necessary. What is its nature? This is the area of ignorance, the scope of the experiment with the boundaries of knowledge. If a person knows the solution to the problem, it will not be difficult for him to choose the best way of development of events. The scale is not important, it concerns both the individual and the society as a whole.

Nature of error

In its development, a person constantly overcomes his own boundaries. Therefore, it is so difficult for a person to get knowledge. It does not matter, it's practical (how to do something) or the process of spiritual growth. In the process of choosing a person commits an act. He always chooses. But not always correct. And the price of the error is different. Hence another saying: "A man punishes himself like no other can do this."

The nature of the error is hidden in the mechanism of cognition: Errare humanum est! Error - ignorance of the best option. But it is thanks to her that new perspectives and opportunities open up. The experience of knowing is always associated with the risk of mistaken choice, but there is no other option. Experiment - this is a test of the truth of the solution, any hypotheses are confirmed experimentally.

History knows many facts, when a recurring failure in experiments led to the discovery of a world magnitude.

Historical mistakes

History knows cases when the error was the cause of discoveries of a global scale. For example, the error in the trajectory of Columbus's sea voyage gave a chance to discover America.

The erroneous principle of socialist equality, laid down in the basis of the Soviet state, showed an example of the strength of the ideological foundation of society.

Not always error leads to truth. More often it reveals the imperfection in knowledge, the limitations of our capabilities and is an incentive for finding the best option. In this sense, one can also speak of the creative power of error.

Errare humanum est! The translation of this Latin expression literally reads: "The error is inherent in human nature." Indeed, the whole path of the development of a rational person is a movement toward one's own nature, to the cognition of oneself, the process of self-improvement. And the initial principle of imperfection of its nature is recognition of a priori error in the choice of the variant of the development of events.

The analog of expression

In Russian verbal creativity there are many similar in meaning, capacious in content statements:

• "He who does nothing does not make mistakes."
• "They learn from mistakes."
• "Error is the right decision under other conditions."

The words of the great figures of the world are rich in content, which have every right to talk about error, because their contribution to the development of the human community is immeasurable:

• "Freedom is nothing if the right to a mistake is excluded" (M. Gandhi).
• "The majority are always wrong, the truth is in the minority" (Ibsen).
• "A clever person not only makes mistakes, but gives a chance to others" (Churchill).

All statements have one meaning: the recognition of error is a condition of human freedom, everyone has the right to act in this way.

As Chesterfield said: "Fear of the possibility of error should not prevent us from seeking the truth."