--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't see any great evidence that…" description: "\"I can't see any great evidence that humans have any ability to access anything other than the material world. Beyond that, who knows, but there's no go..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/bernard-beckett-13251_ability_i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-huma_2748161.jpg" --- # I can't see any great evidence that humans have any… ![“I can't see any great evidence that humans have any ability to access anything other than the material world. Beyond that, who knows, but there's no good evidence that would take me to any particular belief.” quote by Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/bernard-beckett-13251_ability_i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-huma_2748161.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/bernard-beckett-13251_ability_i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-huma_2748161.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/bernard-beckett-13251_ability_i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-huma_2748161.jpg) > “I can't see any great evidence that humans have any ability to access anything other than the material world. Beyond that, who knows, but there's no good evidence that would take me to any particular belief.” [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author expresses skepticism about evidence for metaphysical claims beyond the material world. **In simple terms:** No proof of non‑material reality. Key Takeaway Stay skeptical. Themes philosophy epistemology materialism Mood critical inquisitive Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - academic debate - personal worldview - science education Key Concepts evidence based belief skepticism Questions to Reflect On - What counts as valid evidence? - Can belief exist without empirical proof? A Different Perspective Some argue personal experience counts as evidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Beyond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beyond/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Evidence Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence-humans-1702211/) [Evidence Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence-particular-1702212/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-evidence-1487095/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Humans Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans-ability-3078604/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Material](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/material/) [Material world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/material-world/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Other](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Take](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [I cant see any great evidence that humans have any ability to access anything other than the material world. Beyond that, who knows, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/i-cant-see-any-great-evidence-that-humans-have-any-ability-to-access/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [“Demons live in all of us. There's only one difference between Luptators and humans- it's our ability to control them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-watkins/demons-live-in-all-of-us-there-s-only-one-difference-between/) [Tyler Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-watkins/) > [I always marvel at the humans' ability to keep going. They always manage to stagger on even with tears streaming down their faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/i-always-marvel-at-the-humans-ability-to-keep-going-they-always/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [When you're dealing with a problem as complex as autism, you have to look at it from many different points of view and assemble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-v-fineberg/when-you-re-dealing-with-a-problem-as-complex-as-autism-you-have-to/) [Harvey V. Fineberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-v-fineberg/) > [There's no doubt if you could go 5, 10, 15 million years into the future and dig down to 2016, you would be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-lacovara/there-s-no-doubt-if-you-could-go-5-10-15-million-years-into-the/) [Kenneth Lacovara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-lacovara/) > [We live in a material world, not a dramatic one. And truth resides not in melodrama, but in the precise measure of material things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/we-live-in-a-material-world-not-a-dramatic-one-and-truth-resides-not/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [Nobody in this material world wanna see you happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alok-tripathi/nobody-in-this-material-world-wanna-see-you-happy/) [Alok Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alok-tripathi/) > [It does not appear to me to be open to question that there is in the soul of man a nature and an order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-edward-woodberry/it-does-not-appear-to-me-to-be-open-to-question-that-there-is-in-the/) [George Edward Woodberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-edward-woodberry/) > [Material things are not to be despised-without them there can be no manifestation in the material world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/material-things-are-not-to-be-despised-without-them-there-can-be-no/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [The material world may be nothing but illusion...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anodea-judith/the-material-world-may-be-nothing-but-illusion/) [Anodea Judith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anodea-judith/) > [We live in a material world, not a dramatic one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/we-live-in-a-material-world-not-a-dramatic-one/) [Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/) > [The beauty of existence is that we get past the superficialities and material world and hopefully move into - lord - hopefully a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendoline-christie/the-beauty-of-existence-is-that-we-get-past-the-superficialities-and/) [Gwendoline Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendoline-christie/) > [“Funny how money speaks even more loudly than morals in this beautiful, superficial material world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/funny-how-money-speaks-even-more-loudly-than-morals-in-this-beautiful/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [I would say I was still a Marxist - which is not to be confused with being a Communist. Despite its flaws, Marxism still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexei-sayle/i-would-say-i-was-still-a-marxist-which-is-not-to-be-confused-with/) [Alexei Sayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexei-sayle/) > [We are living in a material world and I'm a material girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/we-are-living-in-a-material-world-and-i-m-a-material-girl/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) ## More by Bernard Beckett > [“Do you believe in God?' Grace asked him. The question was not strange. They were past strangeness. 'Of course' he replied. It was easier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/do-you-believe-in-god-grace-asked-him-the-question-was-not-strange/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [I just love the idea that people disappear into the story for a while. You grab a book, and you want to get back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/i-just-love-the-idea-that-people-disappear-into-the-story-for-a-while/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [There is a fascination with fear. It grabs our attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/there-is-a-fascination-with-fear-it-grabs-our-attention/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [In the end, living is defined by dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/in-the-end-living-is-defined-by-dying/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [Science is a little bit more than a wonderful way of modelling and predicting; it's a wonderful technical abstraction. I think science is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/science-is-a-little-bit-more-than-a-wonderful-way-of-modelling-and/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [“Ugly's still ugly, no matter how you see it." "An interesting assertion. Justify it." "You bring twenty people in here," Adam told him, "and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/ugly-s-still-ugly-no-matter-how-you-see-it-an-interesting-assertion/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [Unable to attribute misfortune to chance, unable to accept their ultimate insignificance within the greater scheme, the people looked for monsters in their midst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/unable-to-attribute-misfortune-to-chance-unable-to-accept-their/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [Consciousness is the feel of accessing memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/consciousness-is-the-feel-of-accessing-memory/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [Our world is limited by the machinery we carry. It's very different to the 18th and 19th century Enlightenment scientists who were mostly men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/our-world-is-limited-by-the-machinery-we-carry-it-s-very-different-to/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [“You think the thing you call consciousness is some mysterious gift from the heavens, but in the end consciousness is nothing but the context…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/you-think-the-thing-you-call-consciousness-is-some-mysterious-gift/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [“We have nothing but a history of our own invention to support this view. It suits us to believe it. It allows us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/we-have-nothing-but-a-history-of-our-own-invention-to-support-this/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [The Idea enters the brain from the outside. It rearranges the furniture to make it more to its liking. It finds other Ideas already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/the-idea-enters-the-brain-from-the-outside-it-rearranges-the/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [This is always the problem with building heroes. To keep them pure, we must build them stupid. The world is built on compromise and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/this-is-always-the-problem-with-building-heroes-to-keep-them-pure-we/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [... from our vantage point it is now clear that the only thing the population had to fear was fear itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/from-our-vantage-point-it-is-now-clear-that-the-only-thing-the/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) > [Human spirit is the ability to face the uncertainty of the future with curiosity and optimism. It is the belief that problems can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/human-spirit-is-the-ability-to-face-the-uncertainty-of-the-future/) [Bernard Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) [Explore all 49 Bernard Beckett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can't see any great evidence that humans have any ability to access anything other than the material world. Beyond that, who knows, but there's no good evidence that would take me to any particular belief.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bernard Beckett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-humans-have-any-ability-to-access/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-humans-have-any-ability-to-access/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/bernard-beckett-13251_ability_i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-huma_2748161.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/bernard-beckett-13251_ability_i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-huma_2748161.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/977/bernard-beckett-13251_ability_i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-huma_2748161.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I can't see any great evidence that humans have any ability to access anything other than the material…” — Bernard Beckett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bernard Beckett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-beckett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I can't see any great evidence...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-humans-have-any-ability-to-access/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-beckett/i-can-t-see-any-great-evidence-that-humans-have-any-ability-to-access/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```