Ars Brevis

2. The Figures

The Third Figure

It has 36 cameras, as shown. Each camera conveys many different meanings through the two letters it contains; for instance in camera BC, many diverse meanings are conveyed B and C; likewise, camera BD has many diverse meanings through B and D, etc. This was shown earlier in the alphabet.

Each camera contains two letters signifying a subject and a predicate. Here the artist can seek out the medium joining the subject to the predicate: for instance, goodness and greatness are joined by concordance, and so on. The artist uses these media to reach conclusions and to clarify propositions.

This figure signifies that each principle is attributed to all the other principles, for instance C, D etc. are attributed to B; and B, D, etc. are attributed to C; as shown in the figure. This enables the intellect to know each principle in conjunction with all the other principles, and to bring many reasons to bear on one and the same issue.

Let us give an example of this by taking goodness as the subject and all the other principles as predicates: goodness is great, goodness is durable, goodness is powerful,  goodness is knowable, goodness is lovable, goodness is virtuous, goodness is true, goodness is glorious, goodness is different, goodness is concordant, goodness is contrary, goodness is initial, goodness is mediative, goodness is final, goodness is increasing, goodness is equalizing, goodness is decreasing. And as we dealt with goodness, so can the other principles be dealt with in their own ways.

This figure is highly general, and with it the intellect is highly general in building sciences.

The condition for this figure is that no camera must contradict any other, and that they must all agree with the conclusion; for instance, camera BC must not contradict camera BD, and so on. By following this condition, the intellect acquires training and builds science.