Original artwork, not a still
the Astronomer, in Samuel Johnson's Rasselas
Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speaker sets two qualities against each other. Honesty without understanding cannot accomplish anything and is feeble, while understanding without moral principle becomes frightening, because capable people may use it without restraint. Good outcomes, the line suggests, need both together.
Context reviewed
