A learned fool is more foolish than an ignorant one.

Molière (Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, 1622–1673) repeatedly satirized pedantry and the social prestige attached to “learning” in 17th‑century France, especially in comedies that mock scholars, doctors, and self-important intellectuals. The sentiment behind this quotation fits that recurring target: the figure who has accumulated book-knowledge or credentials but lacks judgment, humility, or practical sense. In Molière’s theatrical world, such characters often use learning as a mask for vanity and as a tool to dominate others, becoming more ridiculous—and sometimes more harmful—than someone who is simply uneducated.

The line contrasts ignorance with a more dangerous kind of folly: the person who is “learned” yet still foolish. Education can amplify error when it breeds arrogance, rationalizes bad ideas, or supplies sophisticated language to defend nonsense. An “ignorant fool” may be limited, but a “learned fool” can mislead others, gain authority, and persist in mistakes with greater confidence. The quote thus critiques knowledge without wisdom—learning detached from self-criticism, moral sense, or lived understanding—and warns that intellect is not the same as good judgment.