Maimonides argues that the intellectual faculties of man (idraak al-‘aqli إدراك العقلي) are subject to the same sorts of limitations that our physical faculties are subject to. This is so in two ways:

  • Just as, for example, one person’s eyesight may be better than another person’s, so one person’s capacity for intellectual perception/understanding may be better than another person’s. There is a variation in different members of the species’ ablity to understand and synthesize ideas.
  • In addition, there are some limitations on the intellectual abilities of man as a species; these limitations cannot be surpassed by any member of the species, no matter how intellectually accomplished. “A boundary is undoubtedly set to the human mind which it cannot pass”.

Amongst the things which it is not possible for humans to know, there are two types:

  • those which people do not really possess a desire to know. The paradigmatic example given by Maimonides is the question as to how many stars there are in the heavens and whether their number is even or odd. This is a question which is outside the reaches of human understanding, but no one really cares.
  • those which people in all societies at all times have shown a desire to know, and have motivated extensive research, study, and debate. This category does not include those questions which can be answered by demonstrative evidence or logical reasoning, “for a proposition which can be proved by evidence is not subject to dispute, denial, or rejection”. According to Maimonides, uncertain questions of this type most commonly occur in Metaphysics, less commonly in Physics, and are “entirely absent from the exact sciences”.

As preparation for the following chapters, Maimonides reminds the reader that there are four pitfalls to be aware of when investigating questions of the second type:

  1. “arrogance and vainglory”
  2. “the subtlety, depth, and difficulty” of the subject
  3. “ignorance and want of capcacity to comprehend what might be comprehended”
  4. “habit and training”.

The first three are attributed to Alexander of Aphrodisias and the fourth is added by Maimonides.

Chapter XXXII takes up a discussion about passages in Scripture which appear to circumscribe and limit the sphere of our pursuit of knowledge, e.g., Proverbs XXV 16. Maimonides believes that the appropriate interpretation of these passages is that one should

only attempt things which are within human perception; for the study of things which lie beyond man’s comprehension is extremeley injurious … It was not the object of the Prophets and our Sages in these utterances to close the gate of investigation entirely, and to prevent the mind from comprehending what is within its reach, as is imagined by simple and idle people…