True scholarship consists in knowing not what things exist, but what they mean; it is not memory but judgment.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the distinction between mere accumulation of knowledge and true scholarship. It suggests that genuine scholarship lies not in being able to list facts or objects, but in understanding their significance and interpreting their meaning. The quote suggests that scholarship goes beyond rote memorization and instead requires the exercise of critical thinking and judgement. In essence, it portrays true scholarship as the ability to delve deep into the underlying essence of knowledge, rather than simply its surface-level existence.

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