sapere aude

Latin

Etymology

Literally, “dare to know”. It is from the epithet of a parable, explaining that a fool waits for the stream to stop before crossing.

The original use seems to be in Epistle II of Horace's Epistularum liber primus: Dimidium facti qui coepit habet: sapere aude (“He who has begun is half done: dare to know!”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈsa.pe.re ˈau̯.deː/, [ˈs̠äpɛrɛ ˈäu̯d̪eː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈsa.pe.re ˈau̯.de/, [ˈsäːpere ˈäːu̯d̪e]

Phrase

sapere audē

1. have the courage to think for yourself
2. have courage to use your own reason, in the context of committing to tasks that need to be embarked upon, however unpleasant or awkward

Usage notes

• Immanuel Kant described it as the motto of the Enlightenment in his essay "What Is Enlightenment?".
• It is a frequently used motto for academic institutions.