Pansophy

A word of Greek origin, often translated as “all-knowledge”, but in Comenius’ conception reflecting the original meaning the two Greek elements, i.e. more akin to “universal wisdom”. Pansophy is one of the key components in Comenius’ efforts at improvement, relating to the area of human knowledge. Comenius termed it a philosophy for all, in a way the path of the human senses to the world. For him it was that Man was able to understand all things, the means of his existence, but also their teaching and use. In pansophy, ‘everything’ does not mean ‘all things in minute detail’, but rather ‘all that Man needs to know for a respectable life on either, and to gain eternal life after death, all that of which a lack of knowledge would bring about harm. The element of selection is therefore important in pansophy; the purposeful selection of things intended for cognition itself determines everything, which is also fittingly human – for the Christian Comenius meaning a final, limited cognitive ability, as knowledge of all things in their entirety, in every detail, is beyond human ability, belonging to the endless thoughts of God. Such pansophically understood knowledge is intended to take Man not only to the observation and understanding of things, but also to the point where he would want and be able to govern those things understood, to use them for his good; it leads therefore to an active approach to life, to conscious self-formation and self-perfection, for which reason Comenius emphasises a knowledge of the purpose and use of things.