Several times throughout the novel, the character of Signor Agliè expresses a dichotomy in attitudes toward knowledge. In Part 6, Chapter 76, he articulates it as the dichotomy between esoterics and occultists: “Esotericism is the search for a learning transmitted only through symbols, closed to the profane […] It is the strength with which they concealed [their secret] that makes us sure of their initiation, and that makes us yearn to know what they knew. The occultist is an exhibitionist” (433). This distinction suggests two ways of valuing knowledge. Either one values knowledge for its own sake, as the esoterics do, or one values knowledge as means to grab the attention of others, as the occultists do. The novel adopts this dichotomy and applies it to the various characters to represent their moral alignment in the story. In other words, the novel views curiosity as a virtue because it represents loyalty to the truth and pride as a vice because it represents loyalty to power.

Agliè himself is loyal to power. From the moment he introduces himself, he acts as an exhibitionist would, implying his secret identity as the immortal Comte de Saint-Germain. Casaubon and Amparo laugh at the implication, but come to value him as an expert on all forms of hermetic knowledge. Despite the absurdity of his claim, Agliè succeeded in asserting power over Casaubon, which allows the former to infiltrate Garamond Press and gain authority over the body of knowledge it holds. It isn’t until the end of the novel that Agliè’s charade is exposed. He fails to extract the information Belbo claims to have, but also remains convinced that Belbo really knows where the Templars’ hidden control point is. Agliè’s dependence on Belbo to assert his power reveals a flip in dynamics: Belbo’s purported possession of secret knowledge exposes the vulnerability in Agliè’s ego.

Belbo himself is someone who begins his life as an esoteric but gradually turns into an occultist. A key moment in Belbo’s backstory is the transcendent experience he has a child, which connects him to a divine source of truth akin to God. Casaubon later realizes that Belbo has spent his life trying to return to this connection, which informs his choices to seek a career in the humanities and invest himself in esoteric knowledge. With his failed relationships, however, especially with Lorenza, Belbo becomes increasingly drawn to the power that Agliè has and covets it for himself. The folly of his decision to pass off the Plan as evidence that he possesses the map to the Templars’ secret is the turning point for his character, the moment he becomes a true occultist in Agliè’s words.

Casaubon experiences the opposite arc, transforming from someone who wants to find a use for his specialized knowledge to someone who becomes gradually drawn to the splendor of knowledge for its own sake. The first job Casaubon pursues after finishing his studies is to extend support to other researchers. He takes pride in the fact that his encyclopedic knowledge of academic sources is useful to others. When he eventually starts working at Garamond Press, he tries to push his encyclopedic knowledge forward as his biggest strength, advising Belbo on Templar-related literature and finding illustrations to support Signor Garamond’s new projects. When he learns about Belbo’s transcendent childhood experience, however, Casaubon resigns himself to his fate, seeing that the only way to beat the Diabolicals is to defy their strength over him. Casaubon gains the courage to face the occultists by assuring himself that his loyalty to the secret knowledge that Belbo and he have learned will allow him to return to transcendence. In this way, Agliè’s dichotomy proves to be true. Agliè is, however, too much of an occultist to appreciate the truth.