“We think of the number "five" as applying to appropriate groups of any entities whatsoever - to five fishes, five children, five apples, five days... We are merely thinking of those relationships between those two groups which are entirely independent of the individual essences of any of the members of either group. This is a very remarkable feat of abstraction; and it must have taken ages for the human race to rise to it” ThinkingHumansChildrenTwoAgeIndividualNumbersRaceTakenFiveGroupsMembersLogicEssenceIndependentFishesCertaintyUncertaintyHuman RaceApplesReasoningAppropriateRemarkableEntityAbstractionFeatsOntology Author:Alfred North Whitehead
“If a painting contains no abstraction nor impressionistic elements, it is a kite that will never fly. But if the painting completely breaks the connection between human feeling and the object portrayed, the kite string has been broken. I try to keep the line unbroken.” IfsTryingHumansHas BeensFeelingsLinesBreakObjectsPaintingBrokenElementsConnectionsStringsAbstractionUnbrokenKites Author:Wu Guanzhong
“When we hear complaints of the wretchedness or vanity of human life, the proper answer to them would be that there is hardly any one who at some point or other has not been in love. If we consider the high abstraction of this feeling, its depth, its purity, its voluptuous refinement, even in the meanest breast, how sacred and how sweet it is, this alone may reconcile us to the lot of humanity. That drop of balm turns the bitter cup to a delicious nectar.” IfsLoveHumansMayFeelingsWould BeHumanityTurnsAnswersSweetSacredDepthBitterCupsVanityHuman LifePurityBreastsComplaintsDeliciousAbstractionReconcileRefinementBeen In LoveWretchednessNectarVoluptuous Book:The Round Table. A collection of Essays ... By W. H. and Leigh Hunt Source: The Round Table. A collection of Essays ... By W. H. and Leigh Hunt