The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 01 (of 11) — Thomas Hobbes — John Shaqi
The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 01 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
5. From hence may be collected this property of a strait line, namely,
that it is all contained in that plane which contains both its extreme
points. For seeing both its extreme points are in the plane, that strait
line, which describes the plane, will pass through them both; and if one
of them be made a centre, and at the distance between both a
circumference be described, whose radius is the strait line which
describes the plane, that circumference will pass through the other
point. Wherefore between the two propounded points, there is one strait
line, by the definition of a circle, contained wholly in the propounded
plane; and therefore if another strait line might be drawn between the
same points, and yet not be contained in the same plane, it would
follow, that between two points two strait lines may be drawn; which has
been demonstrated to be impossible.
It may also be collected, that if two planes cut one another, their
common section will be a strait line. For the two extreme points of the
intersection are in both the intersecting planes; and between those
points a strait line may be drawn; but a strait line between any two
points is in the same plane, in which the points are; and seeing these
are in both the planes, the strait line which connects them will also be
in both the same planes, and therefore it is the common section of both.
And every other line, that can be drawn between those points, will be
either coincident with that line, that is, it will be the same line; or
it will not be coincident, and then it will be in neither, or but in one
of those planes.
As a strait line may be understood to be moved round about whilst one
end thereof remains fixed, as the centre; so in like manner it is easy
to understand, that a plane may be circumduced about a strait line,
whilst the strait line remains still in one and the same place, as the
_axis_ of that motion. Now from hence it is manifest, that any three
points are in some one plane. For as any two points, if they be
connected by a strait line, are understood to be in the same plane in
which the strait line is; so, if that plane be circumduced about the
same strait line, it will in its revolution take in any third point,
howsoever it be situate; and then the three points will be all in that
plane; and consequently the three strait lines which connect those
points, will also be in the same plane.
[Sidenote: Definition of tangent lines.]