“For if I should not believe all that is written by Historians, of the glorious acts of Alexander, or Caesar; I do not think the Ghost of Alexander, or Caesar, had any just cause to be offended; or any body else, but the Historian. If Livy say the Gods made once a Cow speak, and we believe it not; we distrust not God therein, but Livy. So that it is evident, that whatsoever we believe, upon no other reason, then what is drawn from authority of men only, and their writings; whether they be sent from God or not, is Faith in men only.” IfsThinkingMenShouldWritingBelieveMadeReasonBodyReligionFaithSpeakCausesHistoryWrittenAuthorityGhostGloriousHistorianCowsEvidentDistrustOffended Book:Hobbes: Leviathan: Revised student edition Source: Hobbes: Leviathan: Revised student edition
“There is a conceptual depth as well as a purely visual depth. The first is discovered by science; the second is revealed in art. The first aids us in understanding the reasons of things; the second in seeing their forms. In science we try to trace phenomena back to their first causes, and to general laws and principles. In art we are absorbed in their immediate appearance, and we enjoy this appearance to the fullest extent in all its richness and variety. Here we are not concerned with the uniformity of laws but with the multiformity and diversity of intuitions.” TryingFirstsWellsArtReasonFormLawScienceCausesEnjoyUnderstandingPrinciplesSeeingDiversityConcernedDepthAppearanceIntuitionAidsVarietyVisualsRichnessUniformity Author:Ernst Cassirer
“Now it must be asked if we can comprehend why comets signify the death of magnates and coming wars, for writers of philosophy say so. The reason is not apparent, since vapor no more rises in a land where a pauper lives than where a rich man resides, whether he be king or someone else. Furthermore, it is evident that a comet has a natural cause not dependent on anything else; so it seems that it has no relation to someone's death or to war. For if it be said that it does relate to war or someone's death, either it does so as a cause or effect or sign. De Cometis” IfsMenDoeSaidWarReasonPhilosophySeemsCausesNaturalRichLandEffectsKingsRelationRelateDependentEvidentRich ManCometsVapor Author:Albertus Magnus
“Astrology ... makes vague predictions that can always be adapted after the fact to fit observations, as we'll see. Astrologers don't seek causes at all, for a good reason: There isn't any cause to astrology. If you look for some underlying reason, some connection between the stars and planets and our lives, you won't find any. For astrology to sell, buyers must not seek out the fundamental principles behind it, because if they do they'll see that there is none.” IfsLooksReasonFactsStarsCausesBehindsPrinciplesOur LivesPlanetsFitConnectionsFundamentalsSellsObservationVaguePredictionsAstrologyAdaptedBuyersFundamental PrinciplesStars And Planets Author:Phil Plait