2 - Zettelkasten , at least according to Google translate stands for “note box” in German. I’ve read online that the practice of keeping a note box goes back a long way and technically isn’t unique to sociologist Niklas Luhmann . Other than Luhmann’s note box , I haven’t been able to find any of these (Note 1A - Alternative Note Boxes) online to study, so for the purpose of this thread I will be talking about his note box exclusively.
Further Research Starter Kit (work in progress, will start writing once I feel this zettelkasten has reached critical mass, will probably be around 500-1000 notes)
Zettelkasten is about adding structure to your notes that helps you develop knowledge
4 - Zettelkasten & Structure - Note Taking is about storing information for later retrieval because we have a limited memory. Inherent in the process of storage is structure. In the case of a [paper zettelkasten], the base structure would take the form of writing notes on paper and just putting them in a giant pile. The point of structure is to add order so that you can repeat tasks such as retrieval of a note. The above example would be an undesirable structure as it would take a long time to r…
You can structure your notes to make retrieving all the relevant notes on a topic easier
7 - Structuring for Retrieval - An important aspect of the zettelkasten to understand is that Luhmann’s method of structure facilitated his end use case (writing). He created sequences of notes (1 - 1a -1b - 1c), which allowed him to easily pull out all the notes on a given topic when he needed them. Otherwise he could have just used a numbered list for notes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, new note 6) where the newest note is just the highest number.
What all this suggests is that you should keep in mind how …
Layers of Structure in a Physical Zettelkasten
62 - Layers of Structure in a Physical Zettelkasten - When you build a zettelkasten you are adding layers of structure to facilitate note retireval .
The first layer is creating a unified medium of storage such that it makes physical storage of the information manageable. Since paper is the most common form of writing, that is a good starting point. I could technically implement it using crayons and the walls of my house but that’d be subpar (still better than chaos).
The second layer is havi…
Layers of Structure in a Digital Zettelkasten
93 - Layers of Structure in a Digital Zettelkasten - When you build a zettelkasten you are adding layers of structure to facilitate note retireval .
The first layer of structure is having a single storage mechanism. In this case it is plain text files using markdown syntax . The reason for this is it helps makes your notes future proof. Luhmann used his zettelkastens over a 46 year period, so you want something that lasts the test of time.
The second layer of structure for a digital zettelka…
Rules that help facilitate a successful zettelkasten
Zettelkasten differs from other notes systems because it promotes knowledge development
113 - Levels of Development make a Zettelkasten - What is the difference between zettelkasten and other note taking methods?
Using Obsidian as the Software Implementation, you can think of the different levels of development to better understand what a zettelkasten is:
Referential System - would be creating notes without any links between them. When you want to “reference” a note, you pull it up through search or the note list.
Wiki System - would be well written full notes on topics with…
Other note boxes (zettelkasten) in history
8 - Alternative Note Boxes - there is discussion going on about how Luhmann wasn’t the first to create a zettelkasten . In a perfect world, what I would want to do is study all of the ones created by prolific writers and apply the process of generalization to discover the underlying rules they all share.
While that isn’t possible, it is still interesting to see some of the different manifestations talked about throughout history. To do this I will be looking into several resources.
Paper Machi…
Niklas Luhmann
100 - Niklas Luhmann was a German sociologist during the 20th century who is known for his prolific writing and work towards creating a theory of society. He created two zettelkastens over his career, starting the first one as a response to the need for an effective way to organize notes for the long term (Johannes F.K. Schmidt, 2018 ).
The reason he is so popular among the zettelkasten community is because his zettelkasten is public, the focus of a long term university research project , was pa…
Design of a Perfect Zettelkasten App
131 - Design of Perfect Zettelkasten App - what would be the features of my ideal zettelkasten application? One way to approach this question is to think about what software features facilitate knowledge management and knowledge development.
What information can you include in the storage process that will make note retrieval easier?
What information can you include in the storage process that will facilitate knowledge development?
How can you sort your notes to make information retrieval easi…
Simple Zettelkasten Guide
Folgzettel Debate
211 - Folgzettel Debate
Folgzettel translate to “follow-up slip” in english. It represents a note that is an elaboration on the note in front of it. If you had notes “1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d” then 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d would be considered follow up slips. They can either be expanding on the note that comes before it (e.g. 1b expands on 1a) or it expands on the idea at the start of the sequence (e.g. 1d expands in a new way on the idea in 1 not 1c).
Luhmann allowed notes to branch off arbitrarily. So of…
Examples of Output from Zettelkasten
Zettelkasten Exploration Analogy
218 - Zettelkasten as a Knowledge Explorer
One way to better understand and think about the purpose of a zettelkasten is to compare it to an explorer.
You are an explorer who has reached a new and magical world! The first thing you do is set up “the index”. The index is your original port city, the biggest hub where information is located and a place to branch off from. You aren’t just any explorer though, you also happen to be a cartographer.
Setting up outposts for further exploration
Refi…
Zettelkasten Word of Caution
229 - Zettelkasten isn’t a Catch All
I think how successful a zettelkasten user is depends on the person and how they communicate with their zettelkasten. Luhmann published prolifically with his zettelkasten. His output was a byproduct of the interaction between what he put in the zettelkasten, his default brain, and how the two communicated with each other.
Just because you create a zettelkasten, doesn’t mean you’ll somehow create great work. It is just a tool. Some people suck at using tools…
Outstanding Questions
238 - Questions for Johannes F.K. Schmidt who is one of the scholars working on publishing the Luhmann Archive online. He seems to be the most knowledgeable, so thinking about questions I’d have for him is a good way to get at what I don’t quite understand about the zettelkasten.
Department Level
How did Luhmann’s department level categories work? Did he create them beforehand or did they emerge overtime? By the numbering system, it sounds like he created them beforehand. See 1 - Subject area …
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