Paradox of inquiry

The paradox of inquiry is a philosophical problem about how we learn new things. It questions how we can know what to ask or investigate without already knowing something about the answer. If we already know the answer, seeking it doesn't make sense; if we don’t know the answer, it seems impossible to ask the right questions. This creates a paradox: inquiry both depends on knowledge to guide it and is hindered by the lack of knowledge. The challenge is understanding how we can learn anything when the process of learning seems to require prior knowledge or understanding.