Analogy Quote by Augustine of Hippo
““Seeing is the property of our eyes. But we also use this word in other senses, when we apply the power of vision to knowledge generally. We do not say 'Hear how that flashes', or 'Smell how bright that is', or 'Taste how that shines' or 'Touch how that gleams'. Of all these things we say 'see'. But we say not only 'See how that light shines', which only the eyes can perceive, but also 'See how that sounds, see what smells, see what tastes, see how hard that is'. So the general experience of the senses is the lust, as scripture says, of the eyes, because seeing is a function in which eyes hold the first place but other senses claim the word for themselves by analogy when they are exploring any department of knowledge.””
About This Quote
Source Treatise: On the Trinity, Book 5, 5.1
Seeing is used metaphorically for understanding; all senses can be described as “seeing” when grasping knowledge.
In simple terms: Seeing means understanding, not just visual perception.
Key Takeaway
Use vision as a metaphor for insight.
Themes
knowledge
perception
metaphor
Mood
contemplative
introspective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- learning
- reading
- research
- teaching
Key Concepts
epistemology
sensory analogy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does metaphor shape your grasp of concepts?
- Can you “see” ideas without visual cues?
A Different Perspective
Metaphor may obscure literal sensory differences.
![“Time takes no holiday. It does not roll idly by, but through our senses works its own wonders in the mind. Time came and went from one day to the next; in its coming and its passing it brought me other hopes and other memories. [quoted in Peter Brown, Augustine of Hippo, p. 54]” quote by Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7c2/augustine-of-hippo-2589_change_time-takes-no-holiday-it-does-not-roll-i_22609.jpg)
