Flatland: A Romance of Many DimensionsAbbott, Edwin Abbott
Science
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
Abbott, Edwin Abbott
Fourth dimension
“You see,” said my Teacher, “how little your words have done. So far as
the Monarch understands them at all, he accepts them as his own—for he
cannot conceive of any other except himself—and plumes himself upon the
variety of ‘Its Thought’ as an instance of creative Power. Let us leave
this God of Pointland to the ignorant fruition of his omnipresence and
omniscience: nothing that you or I can do can rescue him from his
self-satisfaction.”
After this, as we floated gently back to Flatland, I could hear the mild
voice of my Companion pointing the moral of my vision, and stimulating me
to aspire, and to teach others to aspire. He had been angered at first—he
confessed—by my ambition to soar to Dimensions above the Third; but,
since then, he had received fresh insight, and he was not too proud to
acknowledge his error to a Pupil. Then he proceeded to initiate me into
mysteries yet higher than those I had witnessed, showing me how to
construct Extra-Solids by the motion of Solids, and Double Extra-Solids
by the motion of Extra-Solids, and all “strictly according to Analogy,”
all by methods so simple, so easy, as to be patent even to the Female
Sex.
§ 21.—_How I tried to teach the theory of Three Dimensions to my
Grandson, and with what success._
I awoke rejoicing, and began to reflect on the glorious career before me.
I would go forth, methought, at once, and evangelize the whole of
Flatland. Even to Women and Soldiers should the Gospel of Three
Dimensions be proclaimed. I would begin with my Wife.
Just as I had decided on the plan of my operations, I heard the sound of
many voices in the street commanding silence. Then followed a louder
voice. It was a herald’s proclamation. Listening attentively, I
recognized the words of the Resolution of the Council, enjoining the
arrest, imprisonment, or execution of any one who should pervert the
minds of the people by delusions, and by professing to have received
revelations from another World.
I reflected. This danger was not to be trifled with. It would be better
to avoid it by omitting all mention of my Revelation, and by proceeding
on the path of Demonstration—which after all, seemed so simple and so
conclusive that nothing would be lost by discarding the former means.
“Upward, not Northward”—was the clue to the whole proof. It had seemed to
me fairly clear before I fell asleep; and when I first awoke, fresh from
my dream, it had appeared as patent as Arithmetic; but somehow it did not
seem to me quite so obvious now. Though my Wife entered the room
opportunely just at that moment, I decided, after we had interchanged a
few words of commonplace conversation, not to begin with her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account