Pal.lat.984

The subject of this art is divine knowledge, leading in a certain way to the knowledge of all things.

A large, ornate Gothic initial 'L' is decorated with red and blue ink. The interior and surrounding space of the letter are filled with intricate green and red floral and vine scrollwork. This letter marks the beginning of the main text body.

The reason why this table chart or diagram is established as "general" consists in this: that it is composed of general principles, rules, and questions. And the intention for which this table was compiled is this: because within it, the method of the Art is found briefly, and also a method through which an "Art of Memory" Llull’s system was often used as a mnemonic device to help scholars recall complex theological and philosophical relationships. can be created, which is very useful for the pursuit of knowledge. Likewise, its purpose is so that a knowledge of the truths of the sciences in this world may be acquired in a short time, so that the intellect can ascend through those stages necessary to reach them according to natural limits.

The principles of this table? are eighteen, which are: goodness, greatness, eternity (or duration), power, wisdom, will, virtue, truth, glory, difference, concordance, contrariety, beginning, middle, end, majority, equality, and minority. These eighteen principles are the "building blocks" of Llull's logic, representing the attributes of God and the fundamental relationships between all created things. There are many other general principles, such as justice, perfection, and several others; however, all of these can be reduced to the eighteen principles mentioned above. Furthermore, the way to use them can be mastered according to the practice of the eighteen principles, so that one might say, for example, "Justice is good and great." This same rule should be applied to all other general principles not explicitly contained in this Art. Moreover, everything can be reduced to these eighteen principles, as when it is said: "The Lord is good, great, and enduring." And this same logic follows for all other real things.

Furthermore, this science is "general" because it consists of general rules and questions, to which all things whatsoever can be reduced. Those ten rules and ten questions are signified by these terms: possibility, "what-ness" original: quidditas; the essential nature of a thing, "where-ness" original: ubilitas; the state of being in a place, causality, quantity, quality, "when-ness" original: quanditas; the temporal aspect or duration, locality, modality, and instrumentality. The first rule and first question are signified by the first term, the second rule and question by the second, and so on for all the remaining rules and questions.