The Man who was Thursday

Obi-Wan Kenobi · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2018 10:21 am

Every material object, however mean, has its numbers; but wisdom was granted, not to material objects or even to all souls, but only to rational souls, as if it set up in them a throne from which to dispose all the things, however lowly, to which it gave numbers. But wisdom gave numbers to everything, even to the lowliest and most far-flung things. Thus, since we perceive the numbers that are stamped upon them, we can easily make judgments about material objects as things ordered lower than ourselves. Consequently, we come to think that numbers themselves are also lower than we are, and we hold them in low esteem. But when we begin to look above ourselves again, we find that numbers transcend our minds and remain fixed in the truth itself. And since few ran be wise, but even fools can count, people marvel at wisdom but disparage number. But the learned and studious, as they separate themselves more and more from earthly filth, come to see ever more dearly that wisdom and number are united in the truth itself, and they regard both as precious. In comparison with that truth, they consider everything else worthless—not just the silver and gold that human beings covet, but their very selves.St. Augustine, On Free Choice of the Will, Book 2, #11.

GKC · **Joined:** Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:22 pm **Posts:** 19668

Givi46 wrote:

GKC wrote:

Givi46 wrote:

gherkin wrote:

GKC wrote:

]Who is this that is pressuring you discard the artwork and worship interpretation? Send them away.

Pragmatic modern/contemporary American culture as a whole. Don't worry, I've sent it as far away as I can manage from me (no very, I reckon, but still). I'm urging others to, too. Not to pick on Givi, but this whole thread is an example of what I mean. "Trying to sort out the ending," as though it were something to be figured out.

I don't mind applicability, but allegory is something I cordially dislike in all its forms.

Suppose I was speaking allegorically when I wrote that? :wink:

What I really meant was that I'd gotten a collection of loose pages out of sort and was looking for page sequences, naturally. :mrgreen:

Oh. Numbers.

As is well known, I can't do numbers.

Numbers, like whisky, are the devil.

They're leading you astray?

GKC · **Joined:** Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:22 pm **Posts:** 19668

Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote:

Every material object, however mean, has its numbers; but wisdom was granted, not to material objects or even to all souls, but only to rational souls, as if it set up in them a throne from which to dispose all the things, however lowly, to which it gave numbers. But wisdom gave numbers to everything, even to the lowliest and most far-flung things. Thus, since we perceive the numbers that are stamped upon them, we can easily make judgments about material objects as things ordered lower than ourselves. Consequently, we come to think that numbers themselves are also lower than we are, and we hold them in low esteem. But when we begin to look above ourselves again, we find that numbers transcend our minds and remain fixed in the truth itself. And since few ran be wise, but even fools can count, people marvel at wisdom but disparage number. But the learned and studious, as they separate themselves more and more from earthly filth, come to see ever more dearly that wisdom and number are united in the truth itself, and they regard both as precious. In comparison with that truth, they consider everything else worthless—not just the silver and gold that human beings covet, but their very selves.St. Augustine, On Free Choice of the Will, Book 2, #11.