The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 01 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
And the men, that reason thus absurdly, are
not idiots, but, which makes the absurdity unpardonable, geometricians,
and such as take upon them to be judges, impertinent, but severe judges
of other men's demonstrations. The reason is this, that as soon as they
are entangled in the words _infinite_ and _eternal_, of which we have in
our mind no idea, but that of our own insufficiency to comprehend them,
they are forced either to speak something absurd, or, which they love
worse, to hold their peace. For geometry hath in it somewhat like wine,
which, when new, is windy; but afterwards though less pleasant, yet more
wholesome. Whatsoever therefore is true, young geometricians think
demonstrable; but elder not. Wherefore I purposely pass over the
questions of infinite and eternal; contenting myself with that doctrine
concerning the beginning and magnitude of the world, which I have been
persuaded to by the holy Scriptures and fame of the miracles which
confirm them; and by the custom of my country, and reverence due to the
laws. And so I pass on to such things as it is not unlawful to dispute
of.
[Sidenote: No place in the world empty.]
2. Concerning the world it is further questioned, whether the parts
thereof be contiguous to one another, in such manner as not to admit of
the least empty space between; and the disputation both for and against
it is carried on with probability enough. For the taking away of vacuum,
I will instance in only one experiment, a common one, but I think
unanswerable.