Preface

[the]matics, people write either according to a completely different method than is common in that field, or they busy themselves with applying the mathematical method. In the first case, sensible people see a very great confusion; for they soon complain that words are not at all, or only rarely, adequately explained, many things are assumed without proof, and others are not sufficiently—and often even incorrectly—proven. In the second case, however, no one has yet succeeded who wanted to present mathematical demonstrations demonstrations; from the Latin 'demonstratio,' referring to a logical proof that shows a conclusion must necessarily follow from its premises in disciplines other than mathematics. Descartes, although he was a great mathematician original Latin: Mathematicus; René Descartes was a pioneer in both philosophy and analytical geometry, never showed the weakness of his proof that there is a GOD more clearly than when he was persuaded to present it in a geometrical manner. Spinoza in his Ethics original Latin: Ethica and Raphson Joseph Raphson (c. 1648–1715), an English mathematician known for the Newton-Raphson method in his Demonstration of God original Latin: Demonstratione de Deo conducted themselves very poorly in the act of demonstrating, even though both did not lack intellect and both were not unexperienced in mathematics. They explain many words through others equal—