incognoscible

Incognoscible is a philosophical term used to describe that which cannot be known or is beyond the reach of knowledge. Derived from Latin roots meaning not knowing, it carries a stronger sense than merely unknown, suggesting that the very structure of cognition or the nature of reality prevents knowledge of the thing in question. The word is typically employed in discussions of epistemology and metaphysics to mark limits to human understanding rather than to assert the existence or nonexistence of such things.

In philosophical use, incognoscible often refers to aspects of reality that lie beyond possible experience or conceptual representation. A common context is the distinction between phenomena (things as they appear to us) and noumena (things as they are in themselves). While many thinkers concede that phenomena are knowable to varying degrees, they maintain that noumena are incognoscible, accessible only through limits of reason, imagination, or faith, not through ordinary empirical inquiry. The term is frequently associated with Kantian ideas, though it is not exclusive to Kantian philosophy; it is also invoked in discussions of mysticism and speculative metaphysics to indicate claims that exceed cognitive reach.

Critics argue that labeling something incognoscible can hedge against examination or falsification, potentially hindering inquiry. Proponents, however, view it as a sober acknowledgment of epistemic boundaries. Incognoscible thus serves as a focal point in debates about what can and cannot be known, and about the scope and limits of human cognition.

See also: noumenon, phenomenon, epistemology, Kant, unknowable, limits of inquiry.