Agazzi on Knowing the Invisible

Against certain positivistic and neopositivistic strictures still rooted in our society, Agazzi argues that knowing the invisible is possible, not just in science, but also in metaphysics, in morals, in aesthetics, and in other areas, including, in a sense, religion. The book also examines many examples of such knowledge, surveying not only the great classics of philosophy but various immortal masterpieces of art, music, and literature. It is not just a treatise in epistemology, but a book of philosophy in the most complete and traditional sense, for it discusses knowledge not only for its own sake but also as a guide to culture, morality, happiness, and to the sense of life. Thus, it also provides some important suggestions on how to face our time of crisis and an uncertain future. Despite Agazzi’s proverbial rigor and clarity, his project is so momentous and demanding that I discuss certain points which might deserve further explication and argumentation.