--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What knowledge is there of which man is…" description: "\"What knowledge is there of which man is capable that is not founded on the exterior,--the relation that exists between visible and invisible, the perce..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/johann-kaspar-lavater-1399_capable_what-knowledge-is-there-of-which-man-is_2275661.jpg" --- # What knowledge is there of which man is capable that is… ![“What knowledge is there of which man is capable that is not founded on the exterior,--the relation that exists between visible and invisible, the perceptible and the imperceptible?” quote by Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/johann-kaspar-lavater-1399_capable_what-knowledge-is-there-of-which-man-is_2275661.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/johann-kaspar-lavater-1399_capable_what-knowledge-is-there-of-which-man-is_2275661.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/johann-kaspar-lavater-1399_capable_what-knowledge-is-there-of-which-man-is_2275661.jpg) > “What knowledge is there of which man is capable that is not founded on the exterior,--the relation that exists between visible and invisible, the perceptible and the imperceptible?” [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Knowledge must be based on visible evidence, not just unseen relations. **In simple terms:** Knowledge needs observable proof. Key Takeaway Seek evidence before belief. Themes epistemology perception knowledge limits Mood inquisitive analytical Type philosophical scientific When to use this quote - scientific research - legal evidence - personal decision making Key Concepts observable vs. hidden scientific method philosophical inquiry Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance intuition with empirical data? - When is unseen knowledge acceptable? A Different Perspective Relying solely on intuition may lead to error. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) [Exterior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exterior/) [Imperceptible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imperceptible-1047413/) [Invisible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisible/) [Invisible Perceptible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invisible-perceptible-5292162/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knowledge Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-man-548856/) [Man Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-capable-272587/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Perceptible Imperceptible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perceptible-imperceptible-5292161/) [Physiognomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physiognomy/) [Relation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relation/) [Visible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visible/) ## Related quotes > [One can descend by imperceptible degree from the most perfect creature to the most shapeless matter, from the best-organised animal to the roughest mineral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-louis-leclerc-comte-de-buffon/one-can-descend-by-imperceptible-degree-from-the-most-perfect/) [Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-louis-leclerc-comte-de-buffon/) > [Man is an imperceptible atom always trying to become one with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/man-is-an-imperceptible-atom-always-trying-to-become-one-with-god/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [In trying to be perfect, He perfected the art of anonymity, Became imperceptible And arrived nowhere from nowhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dejan-stojanovic/in-trying-to-be-perfect-he-perfected-the-art-of-anonymity-became/) [Dejan Stojanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dejan-stojanovic/) > [“IMPERCEPTIBLE IMPELLENT God exists in the heart, not in the show of religious alignment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/imperceptible-impellent-god-exists-in-the-heart-not-in-the-show-of/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [“Imperceptible, adj. We stopped counting our relationship in dates (first date, second date, fifth, date, seventh) and started counting it in months. That might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/imperceptible-adj-we-stopped-counting-our-relationship-in-dates-first/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [We see only the simple motion of descent, since that other circular one common to the Earth, the tower, and ourselves remains imperceptible. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/we-see-only-the-simple-motion-of-descent-since-that-other-circular/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [All this visible world is but an imperceptible point in the ample bosom of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/all-this-visible-world-is-but-an-imperceptible-point-in-the-ample/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [To become imperceptible oneself, to have dismantled love in order to become capable of loving. To have dismantled one's self in order finally to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilles-deleuze/to-become-imperceptible-oneself-to-have-dismantled-love-in-order-to/) [Gilles Deleuze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilles-deleuze/) > [Tiny details imperceptible to us decide everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/tiny-details-imperceptible-to-us-decide-everything/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“imperceptible, element of contempt for those over whom the power is exercised. One can only dominate another human soul if one knows, understands, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ndor-m-rai/imperceptible-element-of-contempt-for-those-over-whom-the-power-is/) [Sándor Márai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ndor-m-rai/) > [“Imperceptible It withers in the world, This flower-like human heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-rexroth/imperceptible-it-withers-in-the-world-this-flower-like-human-heart/) [Kenneth Rexroth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-rexroth/) > [There is no aspect of our experience not molded in some way by metaphor's almost imperceptible touch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-geary/there-is-no-aspect-of-our-experience-not-molded-in-some-way-by/) [James Geary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-geary/) > [All scientific knowledge to which man owes his role as master of the world arose from playful activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/all-scientific-knowledge-to-which-man-owes-his-role-as-master-of-the/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [The chief knowledge that a man gets from reading books is the knowledge that very few of them are worth reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-chief-knowledge-that-a-man-gets-from-reading-books-is-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The history of the human race is a continual struggle from darkness into light. It is, therefore, to no purpose to discuss the use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fridtjof-nansen/the-history-of-the-human-race-is-a-continual-struggle-from-darkness/) [Fridtjof Nansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fridtjof-nansen/) ## More by Johann Kaspar Lavater > [Neatness begets order; but from order to taste there is the same difference as from taste to genius, or from love to friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/neatness-begets-order-but-from-order-to-taste-there-is-the-same/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [Habit is altogether too arbitrary a master for me to submit to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/habit-is-altogether-too-arbitrary-a-master-for-me-to-submit-to/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [The horse-laugh indicates brutality of character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/the-horse-laugh-indicates-brutality-of-character/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [Don't speak evil of someone if you don't know for certain, and if you do know ask yourself, why am I telling it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/don-t-speak-evil-of-someone-if-you-don-t-know-for-certain-and-if-you/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [Before thou callest a man hero or genius, investigate whether his exertion has features of indelibility; for all that is celestial, all genius, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/before-thou-callest-a-man-hero-or-genius-investigate-whether-his/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [“Si quieres ser sabio, aprende a interrogar razonablemente, a escuchar con atención, a responder serenamente y a callar cuando no tengas nada que decir.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/si-quieres-ser-sabio-aprende-a-interrogar-razonablemente-a-escuchar/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [The creditor whose appearance gladdens the heart of a debtor may hold his head in sunbeams and his foot on storms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/the-creditor-whose-appearance-gladdens-the-heart-of-a-debtor-may-hold/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [The craftiest trickery are too short and ragged a cloak to cover a bad heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/the-craftiest-trickery-are-too-short-and-ragged-a-cloak-to-cover-a/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [Who affects useless singularities has surely a little mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/who-affects-useless-singularities-has-surely-a-little-mind/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [Who has a daring eye tell downright truths and downright lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/who-has-a-daring-eye-tell-downright-truths-and-downright-lies/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [True worth is as inevitably discovered by the facial expression, as its opposite is sure to be clearly represented there. The human face is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/true-worth-is-as-inevitably-discovered-by-the-facial-expression-as/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [Fools learn nothing from wise men, but wise men learn much from fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/fools-learn-nothing-from-wise-men-but-wise-men-learn-much-from-fools/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [Who will sacrifice nothing, and enjoy all, is a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/who-will-sacrifice-nothing-and-enjoy-all-is-a-fool/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [The procrastinator is not only indolent and weak, but commonly, false, too; most of the weak are false.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/the-procrastinator-is-not-only-indolent-and-weak-but-commonly-false/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [You may tell a man thou art a fiend, but not your nose wants blowing; to him alone who can bear a thing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/you-may-tell-a-man-thou-art-a-fiend-but-not-your-nose-wants-blowing/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) [Explore all 245 Johann Kaspar Lavater quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) ## More Capable quotes > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. 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If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I was terrible student. 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