Face to face Quote by Étienne Gilson
““What a man finds circa se or sub se is overwhelming in amount, what he finds in se is embarassing in its obscurity, but when from his own being he would obtain light as to what is supra se, then indeed he finds himself face to face with a dark and somewhat terrifying mystery. The trouble is that he is himself involved in the mystery. If, in any true sense, man is an image of God, how should he know himself without knowing God? But if it is really of God that he is an image, how should he know himself?””
About This Quote
Source Philosophical Treatise: “The Image of God” (1935)
Human self‑knowledge is tied to divine understanding; without knowing God, true self‑knowledge is impossible.
In simple terms: Knowing God helps know yourself.
Key Takeaway
Seek deeper spiritual insight for self‑understanding.
Themes
theology
philosophy
identity
Mood
contemplative
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
theological
When to use this quote
- personal meditation
- theological study
- ethical decision‑making
- existential crisis
Key Concepts
ontology
divine image
existential mystery
Questions to Reflect On
- Can self‑knowledge be achieved without religious belief?
- What alternative paths exist to understand oneself?
A Different Perspective
The argument assumes a specific religious framework, limiting universal applicability.
![“Pure sensism leads inevitably to universal doubt; if reality is in the end reducible to sensible appearance, then, since this is in a state of perpetual flux and self-contradiction, no kind of certitude will any longer be possible. [...] Truth is necessary and immutable; but in the sensible order…” quote by Étienne Gilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5c/etienne-gilson-21565_reality_pure-sensism-leads-inevitably-to-univers_1728131.jpg)
![“Gerber, who studied seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Ottoman court decisions, points to examples of Ottoman muftis (official jurists) who, despite being paid by the government, “did not hesitate to speak out against the government when [they] came face to face with an injustice.” quote by Mustafa Akyol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/790/mustafa-akyol-15064_face-to-face_gerber-who-studied-seventeenth-and-eight_22267.jpg)
