“Self-knowledge through Self-physiognomation,” establishes the connection between scientific physiognomy (firâset-i hikemiyye) and divinely inspired physiognomy (firâset-i sher‘iyye), through a close reading of Ottoman physiognomy treatises and Ottoman scientific taxonomies. Scientific physiognomy, as the designation implies, is an occult science which can be studied and, given the requisite proclivities, learned by anyone. Divinely inspired physiognomy is a divine gift which is solely reliant on divine grace; nothing within the realm of human possibility can guarantee mastery of divinely inspired physiognomy. Although the two seem to have little in common except for a shared name – firâset – this paper makes the argument that, in fact, there is a very close tie between the two parts of physiognomy. The goal of man’s existence, according to Islamic teaching, is the attainment of divine grace – of which divine physiognomy is a manifestation. There are four general factors which determine the possibility and degree of man’s spiritual enlightenment: man’s inborn disposition; his upbringing; his self-discipline, and, finally, God’s grace. The attainment of spiritual enlightenment is predicated, first, on man’s inborn disposition and, second, on upbringing. Neither the first two nor the fourth factor are within man’s own control; man is only capable of controlling the third factor – self-discipline. In order to begin the process of self-discipline, however, clear and detailed knowledge of one’s inborn disposition is an absolute pre-requisite – self-knowledge. Scientific physiognomy, which is, by definition, the acquisition of awareness of one’s inborn disposition, thus presents itself as the ideal method for the attainment of divinely inspired physiognomy. One of the many functions of physiognomy is its potential ability to function as a method for developing self-awareness. In that sense, the two parts of physiognomy – scientific physiognomy and divinely inspired physiognomy – can be seen as working together and forming a larger whole. In the classical Ottoman context, the possibility of scientific physiognomy as a mechanism for self-awareness is hinted at and explicitly stated on numerous occasions. Through physiognomy or more specifically through self-physiognomation one could, according to many of the Ottoman physiognomical treatises, develop sufficient self-awareness to diagnose shortcomings in one’s own character and disposition. Once exposed, continued the treatises, bad characteristics could subsequently be transformed through a process variably described as self-discipline and cultivating the soul (siyânet-i nefs). Thus, scientific physiognomy served as the first and fundamental step on the path to moral and spiritual transformation.