ProverbWisdomEnglish origin1597

Knowledge is power

Meaning: Education and learning give you strength and advantage.

Who said it? Francis Bacon, Meditationes Sacrae, 1597

Origin: Francis Bacon wrote ipsa scientia potestas est — knowledge itself is power — in his Meditationes Sacrae (1597). The exact Latin form scientia potentia est first appears in the 1668 Latin edition of Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan; Hobbes had worked as Bacon's secretary in his youth.

Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Dutch, and Polish

  • French: Le savoir, c'est le pouvoir (literally: Knowledge is power)
  • Spanish: El saber es poder (literally: Knowledge is power)
  • Japanese: 知は力なり (Chi wa chikara nari) (literally: Knowledge is power)
  • German: Wissen ist Macht (literally: Knowledge is power)
  • Dutch: Kennis is macht (literally: Knowledge is power)
  • Polish: Wiedza to potęga (literally: Knowledge is power)

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