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Lull's Book of
Propositions
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2 - Figure A
Figure A. is disposed in view of the powers of sense, imagination and intellect.
It presents itself to the senses through sight and hearing; through sight it is viewed in the two figures
shown in the first page of this book and can, like the previous
figure T., be made of copper or some metal or other suitable material, with three revolving circles
each containing sixteen dignities of A.; it is also perceived by
hearing the propositions and reasons related to A.
For investigating any particular in its universal, three cameras are formed on one hand with the dignities
of A. and three cameras on the other hand with the fifteen
angles of T. This rule applies in general to A.S.V.X. etc. Additionally, A. in the outer circle of this
figure means essence, in the second circle operation and a third
A. has no meaning when placed directly under the two previous A.'s. This is because in A.T.S.V.X. etc.
this kind of configuration does not constitute any figure, as
God God God in T. forms no figure, nor does Goodness Goodness Goodness in A. etc. since no meaning is
produced in this way.
The power of imagination must be used with this figure to actively imagine the necessary selected cameras
which point out questions and solutions with the
propositions most relevant to the answer and the arguments in support of it. Thus, the imaginative power
imagines the entire figure A. in accordance with what the
senses can sufficiently provide to the imagination for gathering a universal concept from all parts
of the figure, which it retains within itself and represents to the
intellect. While investigating any particular matter, the imagination descends from the universal
to the particular it represents to the intellect, through a straight line
that begins from the senses. Here, the senses and imagination must be in concordance with both
parts of the figure consisting of A. with T., or A. with S., or A.
with S. and T. and so forth.
The intellect receives within itself whatever it can from the senses and imagination, then separates
itself from both lower powers and forms a universal concept
within itself. Here the intellect does not oppose the senses and imagination in any way, but rather
understands at a higher level above the two lower powers, that
A. is a certain supreme being above all other beings, full of every perfection and free of any defect.
Therefore, as the intellect rejoices in A., it descends to more particular considerations when it understands
how in A. goodness produces its optimized effect within
itself and within greatness etc... And the same applies to eternity and all dignities of A. And
through this enjoyment, the intellect rises to a universal concept by
understanding that A. is one form, one essence, one pure and supremely simple substance etc... with
His own intrinsic conditions, perfect in boundless eternity.
Next, the intellect descends to particulars as it understands the extrinsic work of A. where A. produces
its likenesses in creatures that can receive and contain
them to a greater or lesser degree, as goodness optimizes its optimized result in creatures and greatness
magnifies its magnified result and likewise with A.'s
other dignities on which the intellect discourses as best it can.
After this, the intellect ascends again as from all these things it gathers a universal concept in which
it discovers the particular it must find by focusing on it in the
light of A. with the imagination and senses while keeping all the said objects within itself, and then
judges the particular in its universal in true and right order.
Thus we have shown how figure A. is imprinted in the senses, the imagination and the intellect.
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