Lull's Book of Propositions

bullet1 4 - The Practice of this Art
bullet2 2 - Questions

bullet3 10 - Common Figure

As the preceding questions provide sufficient examples for working with the propositions of each figure, let us now deal with the questions of the tenth figure, in accordance with the combinations of the figures it contains so that just as the preceding chapters first gave examples of the way to investigate particulars with each figure, likewise the present questions clarify the method for ascending to greater universals in order to select lesser universals, so that any required particular can be elucidated. Now let us begin with figure T. successively combined with all the other figures.

T.A.

Question 1: Is T. a perfect object for demonstrating A.?

Question 2: Can A. be believed as much as demonstrated by using T.?

Solution: [God, creature, operation.][Goodness, greatness, eternity.]


T.S.

Question 1: Can S. do as much with T. through E. as it can through I. or N.?

Question 2: Is it better to discourse on S. with N. than with E. or I.?

Solution: [Beginning, end, majority.][E.I.N.]


T.V.

Question 1: Can blue V. be perfect in T. without any red V.?

Question 2: Does blue V. have more power in T. than does red V.?

Solution: [God, creature, operation.][Faith, hope, charity.]


T.X.

Question 1: Can the parts of T.X. better agree in reality than in the rational mind?

Question 2: Is X. better understood through affirmation or negation?

Solution: [Majority, affirmation, negation.][Predestination, being, free will.]


T.Theology

Question 1: Does Theology start with majority rather than with minority?

Question 2: Can Theology be better investigated and discovered through some angle of T. more than through the others?

Solution: [Beginning, end, majority.][Essence, dignities, act.]


T. Philosophy

Question 1: Does Philosophy consist as much in the blue triangle as in all of the other triangles?

Question 2: Through which triangle should Philosophy first be investigated?

Solution: [God, operation, end.][First cause, form, appetite.]


T. Law

Question 1: Through which triangle of T. can Law be best discovered?

Question 2: In which triangle of T. is Law most necessary?

Solution: [God, end, majority.][Form, matter, natural.]


T. Elements

Question 1: Is the magnitude of the elemental figure greater in  the green triangle than in the red triangle?

Question 2: Is the magnitude of the elemental figure greater in the angle of "Creature" than in the angle of "Operation"?

Solution: [Difference, concordance, end.][Igneity, being, form.]


A.S.

Question 1: Can A. make S. perfect in this world?

Question 2: Is A. nobler than S. naturally, or accidentally?

Solution: [Goodness, power, will.][Essential memory, essential intelligence, essential will.]


A.V.

Question 1: Is V. more like A. or unlike A.?

Question 2: Can A. be loved with blue V. as much as it can be hated with red V.?

Solution: [Greatness, eternity, will.][Faith, charity, conceit.]


A.X

Question 1: Do all the cameras of A. have equal power in every camera of X.?

Question 2: Can A. be demonstrated with X.?

Solution: [Greatness, power, perfection.][Being, immediate, privation.]


A. Theology

Question 1: Can theology predicate as much about the power of A. as about the will of A.?

Question 2: Can as much be predicated about A. through affirmation as through negation?

Solution: [Power, will, justice.][Essence, dignities, relation.]


A. Philosophy

Question 1: Should the philosophical investigation of A. begin with cause rather than with effect?

Question 2: Should Philosophy be loved on account of A. more than for itself?

Solution: [Goodness, greatness, eternity.][Form, appetite, act.]


A. Law.

Question 1: Should every Law be reduced to A.?

Question 2: Why is Law reduced to Justice more than to the other cameras of A.?

Solution: [Goodness, justice, nobility.][Charity, justice, prudence.]


A. Elements

Question 1: Do the elements receive greater influence from A. through intrinsic operation, or extrinsic operation?

Question 2: Between the elements and A., is there greater likeness in concordance, than in contrariety?

Solution: [Will, virtue, glory.][Fire, air.]


S.V.

Question 1: Does S. have greater substantial virtue in B.C.D. than does the virtue of B.C.D. in blue V.

Question 2: Does S. produce a greater likeness of itself in blue V. than the unlikeness it produces with red V.?

Solution: [Being, substance, accident.][Faith, charity, justice.]


S.X.

Question 1: Can S. do as much with X. through supposition as through demonstration?

Question 2: Can S. ascend in X. through E. as much as it can descend through N.?

Solution: [E.I.N.][Supposition, demonstration, object.]


S. Theology

Question 1: Does S. have as much power in Theology through N. as through E.?

Question 2: Does S. have as much virtue in Theology through the red triangle as through the saffron triangle?

Solution: [E.I.N.][Articles, commandments, first intention.]


S. Philosophy

Question 1: Is Philosophy greater in S. through the green triangle than through the red triangle?

Question 2: Can S. philosophize as much by knowing itself as by knowing anything else?

Solution: [E.I.N.][First cause, motion, intelligence.]


S. Law

Question 1: Is S. in greater concordance with Law in E. than in I.?

Question 2: Should S. cherish Law more in itself than in the body?

Solution: [C.D.H.][Form, matter, nourishing.]


S. Elements

Question 1: Can S. learn as much within itself as in the elements?

Question 2: Is there greater likeness or unlikeness between S. and the elements?

Solution: [Essential intelligence, essential will, being.][Igneity, aereity, being.]


V.X.

Question 1: Is X. more concordant with blue V. than contrary to red V.?

Question 2: Is blue V. greater in reality than red V. in the rational mind?

Solution: [Charity, justice, fortitude.][Being, perfection, merit.]


V. Theology

Question 1: Is blue V. more concordant with Theology than red V. is contrary to Theology?

Question 2: Should Theology be believed rather than loved with charity?

Solution: [Charity, justice, fortitude.][Being, perfection, merit.]


V. Philosophy

Question 1: Can Philosophy be treated more philosophically with the three theological virtues than with the four moral virtues?

Question 2: Can blue V. oppose red V. more strongly with spiritual philosophy than with sensual philosophy?

Solution: [Faith, prudence, temperance.][First cause, form, matter.]


V. Law

Question 1: Is Law greater on account of its concordance with blue V. than on account of its opposition to red V.?

Question 2: Can Law be justified more by the cardinal virtues than by the theological virtues?

Solution: [Form, matter, positive.][Hope, charity, avarice.]


V. Elements

Question 1: Do the elements naturally repugn against red V.?

Question 2: Does elemental operation show how blue V. should be fortified and red V. mortified?

Solution: [Charity, fortitude, accidy.][Fire, water.]


X. Theology

Question 1: Does essence have greater concordance with predestination than being has with free will?

Question 2: Does perfection contradict imperfection more strongly in reality than in the rational mind?

Solution: [Predestination, being, free will.][Essence, dignities, relation.]


X. Philosophy

Question 1: Can free will contradict an effect of the first cause?

Question 2: Is a motionless object one that can only be moved to the extent that it is moved by something else?

Solution: [Being, perfection, mediated.][Appetite, potential, habit.]


X. Law.

Question 1: Can Law agree as greatly with X. in rewarding merit as in punishing the guilty?

Question 2: Is Law greater in being than is guilt in privation?

Solution: [Merit, free will, guilt.][Justice, fortitude, conceit.]


X. Elements

Question 1: Does X., or the elemental figure have a greater need for T. in this Art?

Question 2: Can the acts of Figure A. be better known in X. than in the elemental figure?

Solution: [Predestination, being, free will.][Fire, earth.]


Theology, Philosophy

Question 1: Can S. learn Theology through Philosophy better than vice-versa?

Question 2: Why did the philosophers of old philosophize without Theology?

Solution: [Dignities, act, relation.][Intelligence, heaven, elements.]


Theology, Law

Question 1: Is Law greater in the acts of God's dignities than in the rational mind?

Question 2: Would a Theologian agree more readily with a Lawyer than a Philosopher would with a Legislator?

Solution: [Essence, dignities, articles.][Form, matter,common.]


Theology, Elements

Question 1: Is it necessary to use metaphors in Theology?

Question 2: Do the elements signify God's intrinsic operation better than they signify His extrinsic operation?

Solution: [Form, relation, articles.][Being, internal, external.]


Philosophy, Law

Question 1: Should Law be investigated by Philosophy?

Question 2: Is the science of Philosophy more necessary than the science of Law?

Solution: [First cause, motion, intelligence.][Form, matter, law.]


Philosophy, Elements

Question 1: Is fire dry per se and is air warm per se?

Question 2: Does Philosophy proceed more with universals than with particulars?

Solution: [First cause, motion, appetite.][Igneity, being, virtue.]


Law, Elements

Question 1: Is the operation of the elements a light for lawyers?

Question 2: Who needs natural science more: a Physician or a Lawyer?

Solution: [Form, matter, nourishing.][Being, substance, accident.]