Socrates and the North Star: From the Wisdom of Ignorance to OntoMotoOS

This paper explores the intersection of Socratic epistemology and contemporary artificial intelligence (AI). Inspired by Socrates’ idea that “the wisest is the one who knows that he knows nothing,” the work examines epistemic humility as a critical stance for AI development. In particular, it discusses OntoMotoOS—a speculative meta-operating system proposed as a philosophical thought experiment rather than a practical software. OntoMotoOS serves as a conceptual “North Star,” providing a coordinate system for evaluating AI ethics, ontology, autonomy, and transparency. Drawing on Plato, Heidegger, and modern epistemology, the paper argues that the true value of OntoMotoOS lies in its role as an extreme limit experiment: not a destination to be reached, but a guiding framework that clarifies boundaries, exposes assumptions, and helps future generations identify balanced “middle points” in AI governance and design.