A History of Science — Volume 1Williams, Henry Smith
History
A History of Science — Volume 1
Williams, Henry Smith
Science -- History
"That the monad was the beginning of everything. From the monad proceeds
an indefinite duad, which is subordinate to the monad as to its cause.
That from the monad and the indefinite duad proceed numbers. And
from numbers signs. And from these last, lines of which plane figures
consist. And from plane figures are derived solid bodies. And from solid
bodies sensible bodies, of which last there are four elements--fire,
water, earth, and air. And that the world, which is indued with life and
intellect, and which is of a spherical figure, having the earth, which
is also spherical, and inhabited all over in its centre,(4) results from
a combination of these elements, and derives its motion from them; and
also that there are antipodes, and that what is below, as respects us,
is above in respect of them.
"He also taught that light and darkness, and cold and heat, and dryness
and moisture, were equally divided in the world; and that while heat was
predominant it was summer; while cold had the mastery, it was winter;
when dryness prevailed, it was spring; and when moisture preponderated,
winter. And while all these qualities were on a level, then was the
loveliest season of the year; of which the flourishing spring was the
wholesome period, and the season of autumn the most pernicious one. Of
the day, he said that the flourishing period was the morning, and the
fading one the evening; on which account that also was the least healthy
time.
"Another of his theories was that the air around the earth was immovable
and pregnant with disease, and that everything in it was mortal; but
that the upper air was in perpetual motion, and pure and salubrious, and
that everything in that was immortal, and on that account divine. And
that the sun and the moon and the stars were all gods; for in them the
warm principle predominates which is the cause of life. And that the
moon derives its light from the sun. And that there is a relationship
between men and the gods, because men partake of the divine principle;
on which account, also, God exercises his providence for our advantage.
Also, that Fate is the cause of the arrangement of the world both
generally and particularly. Moreover, that a ray from the sun penetrated
both the cold aether and the dense aether; and they call the air the
cold aether, and the sea and moisture they call the dense aether. And
this ray descends into the depths, and in this way vivifies everything.
And everything which partakes of the principle of heat lives, on which
account, also, plants are animated beings; but that all living things
have not necessarily souls. And that the soul is a something tom off
from the aether, both warm and cold, from its partaking of the cold
aether. And that the soul is something different from life. Also,
that it is immortal, because that from which it has been detached is
immortal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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