Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar
“Now I will follow reason, wherever it may lead me.”
Cicero, Tusculan Disputations
What does “Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar” mean?
Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar translates as “Now I will follow reason, wherever it may lead me.”
The speaker commits to following an argument to its conclusion, even if that conclusion is uncomfortable or unexpected. It is a classic statement of intellectual honesty: let the reasoning decide, not prior wishes.
“Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Nunc | now | adverb of time; here it marks the moment the speaker commits to a course of action |
| rationem | reason, argument | accusative singular of ratio, “reason, reckoning, argument”; the direct object of sequar |
| quo | to where | relative adverb of place, “to which place, wherever”; here it begins the clause “wherever it may lead” |
| ea | it, that | ablative singular feminine of is, “he, she, it”, referring back to ratio; the subject of ducet |
| me | me | accusative singular of ego, “I”; the object of ducet |
| cumque | -ever, soever | a suffix-word joined to quo to give “wherever”; it adds the sense of “no matter where” |
| ducet | will lead | 3rd person singular future indicative active of duco, “I lead” |
| sequar | I will follow | 1st person singular future indicative of sequor, “I follow” (a deponent verb: passive form, active meaning) |
How to pronounce “Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar”
The differences are the t in ratio, which is a plain t in Classical and “ts” in Church Latin, and the c in ducet, which is a hard k in Classical and “ch” in Church Latin.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “now reason I will follow, wherever it will lead me”. The Latin order puts rationem first, so reason, not the speaker, is the centre of the sentence.
It comes from Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations, a philosophical dialogue written in 45 BC in which Cicero examines death, pain, grief and happiness. He wrote it for Roman readers who had little access to Greek philosophy in their own language.
The line expresses the open-minded method of the Academic school that Cicero favored: weigh the arguments and accept the result, rather than defend a position decided beforehand. Today it is quoted as a short statement of intellectual honesty.
How to use “Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar”
A good motto for a philosophy society, a debate club or a researcher’s notebook, and a fitting epigraph for an essay about following evidence or an argument to an uncomfortable conclusion. It also works as a personal tattoo for someone who prizes honest inquiry.
- Latin
- Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar
- English
- Now I will follow reason, wherever it may lead me.
- Source
- Cicero, Tusculan Disputations
- Era
- Classical
- Theme
- Truth
Common mistakes
- The Latin does not say “wherever reason leads us”. It is first person singular, so the speaker commits only for himself or herself (me, sequar).
- The words quo and cumque are often split apart or one is dropped. Together they mean “wherever”, and quo alone would lose the “no matter where” force.
- Sequar looks like a passive but is a deponent verb, so it means “I will follow”, not “I will be followed”.
- The line is sometimes quoted as a general Stoic or Socratic slogan. It is Cicero speaking, and the Academic stance he describes is distinct from the Stoic school.
Questions about “Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar”
What does “Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar” mean?
“Now I will follow reason, wherever it may lead me.” The speaker promises to accept where the argument ends up, even if the result is unwelcome.
Who said “Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar”?
Cicero, in his Tusculan Disputations, written in 45 BC. It is a statement of the Academic method of following the argument rather than a fixed doctrine.
How do you pronounce “Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar”?
Classically: noonk rah-tee-OH-nem KWOH eh-ah meh KOOM-kweh DOO-ket SEH-kwar. In Church Latin the t of ratio becomes “ts” and the c of ducet becomes “ch”.
Is “Nunc rationem, quo ea me cumque ducet, sequar” good Latin for a tattoo or motto?
It is genuine Latin from a classical author, so it is safe to use as written. It is quite long, so some people shorten it, but doing so changes the sense.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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