Ramon Llull Ars Inventiua Veritatis (1515) (1515) - Page 17

Second Figure. r. c. These letters refer to the combinations used in Llull's revolving logic wheels. to magnitude in the first figure and to concordance in the second figure, and so with the others. This, therefore, must happen by reason of the third and fourth figures so that through them we may be able to investigate and find.

Concerning Difference (B)

Difference original: "Differentia" is that through which goodness, magnitude, etc., are real and unconfused reasons. Also, the maker of good, that which can be made good, and the act of making good original: "bonificans bonificabilis et bonificare"; these are the Lullian triads of agent, patient, and action., etc., are unconfused. Moreover, every difference is either between the sensual term: sensuale refers to things perceived by the five senses, such as physical objects. and the sensual, or between the sensual and the intellectual term: intellectuale refers to things grasped by the mind, such as angels, souls, or mathematical truths., or between the intellectual and the intellectual. This is a necessary principle through which one sensual thing is distinguished from another, and one intellectual thing from another, and also through which every sensual thing is distinguished from every intellectual thing. For without difference, otherness original: "alietas" is impossible; neither would any being be an agent or a patient, nor would it exist or relate itself to an end. Rather, everything that exists would be numerically the same without any specification; and goodness, etc., would be without a goal and would persist in idleness, lacking all concordance. Wherefore it clearly follows that, if difference were not given, every being would persist more in the privation of goodness, etc., than in their existence. But since all these things are impossible, difference or distinction is a necessary principle in all things. The reason why we accept difference to be one of the principles of this Art is so that, in the multitude of differences along with other principles, the practitioner term: artista refers to the student of Ramon Llull’s "Great Art," a system of logic intended to discover truth through the combination of concepts. may reach the conditions of difference between one subject of difference and another thing which differentiates, preserving the difference through the conditions he finds in the subject of difference. And also that he may know the subject original: "suppositum" constituted from many differing things, acting differently by reason of difference; just as a subject constituted of goodness, magnitude, etc., is an agent by reason of goodness, magnitude, etc.

Concerning Concordance (L)

Concordance is that by reason of which goodness, magnitude, etc., agree in one thing and in many. And just as it was said of difference—since difference is between the sensual and the sensual, etc.—so it is with concordance. Concordance, therefore, is a principle so that the differentiator may have concordance with the good, the great, etc., that has been made good, and the maker of good with the good thing that has been made good or made great, and so with the other principles of this Art. For if concordance were nothing, it would certainly be impossible for the power of goodness which is in the principle to relate itself to the end, since without concordance there would be no end, nor even a principle, nor would a yellow triangle be anything. Moreover, if concordance were taken away from the good, etc., there would naturally be a contrariety contradicting the end; thus it would have "being" by reason of contrariety and "non-being" by reason of concord in the good, etc., which is impossible. Therefore, it remains that concordance is a necessary principle. Concordance is a being considered in the abstract and drawn into the concrete from many concurring reasons. And for this reason, so that the practitioner may have knowledge of the supreme and the lowest concordance (of the supreme indeed as the cause, of the lowest truly as the effect), concordance was taken to be one of the principles of this Art, so that the supreme concordance might be found through its conditions, which are these: namely, that the one concording in the good, the great, etc., should concord without

any contrariety with the thing accorded, and vice versa. This is to say that the concorder accords the maker of good with the maker of magnitude and the maker of eternity, etc., because these accord in one good, great, and eternal thing, etc. The same is to be said of that which is made good, made great, and made eternal, etc., and of the acts of making good, making great, and making eternal. Beyond this concordance, it is impossible for there to be a concordance in the height of goodness, magnitude, eternity, etc., because thus the supreme concordance would be outside its own essence and outside the essence of goodness, etc., which is impossible. Having obtained the knowledge of the supreme concordance, the practitioner can know the conditions of the inferior concordance, just as the effect is known through the cause.

Concerning Contrariety (D)

Contrariety is the mutual resistance of certain things on account of different ends, just as, conversely, concordance is the mutual adherence of certain things toward one end. Contrariety occurs between the sensual and the sensual, etc., just as concordance does: between the sensual and the sensual, as between whiteness and blackness, hot and cold, heavy and light, and the like. Or even as between sensual goodness and sensual malice, or of a sensual nature in a subject of difference. And also in a sensual concrete thing, as between the sensual and the intellectual; such as between the body and the soul by reason of visibility and invisibility, or corruption and incorruption. And between the intellectual and the intellectual, as between willing and nilling, understanding and being ignorant, and so with others of this kind. Moreover, contrariety is held in two ways: namely, physically and objectively. Physically original: "realiter" indeed, as between fire and water, or air and earth in the same elemental subject; or as between knowing and being ignorant in a state of doubt; and as between loving and hating, and other such things. Contrariety is a necessary principle in this Art so that the practitioner, through the conditions of one of two contraries, may reach the conditions of the other contrary to it, and vice versa. By this, he ascends to the knowledge of the supreme contrariety which opposes the supreme concordance. There is indeed a supreme contrariety insofar as it opposes the end of the supreme concordance in the beginning and middle of the inferior concordance, so that the end of that inferior concordance does not follow in the good, the great, etc. Moreover, there is an inferior contrariety, such as between fire and water and other such things, so that in generation there is concordance and in corruption there is contrariety, and so with other things similar to these.

Concerning Principle (E)

A principle is that which relates itself to all things by reason of some priority. Whence a principle is manifold, or can be taken in many ways according to what is taught in this Art. That principle, therefore, which is the end, is the principle of that principle which relates itself to that end; whence such a thing is both a principle and is simply the end in the essence and nature of principle and end. Such a principle as this is the supreme principle; for unless it were the principle and the end essentially and naturally, it would be a principle and an end by accident. And from this it would follow that the principle and the end would have greatness accidentally and insignificance substantially, which is impossible and a supreme inconsistency. Under this principle indeed...