The Size Switch, by Monteiro Lobato

“The Size Switch” [A Chave do Tamanho] is a children’s book written by Monteiro Lobato and published in 1942. It features Littlenose [Narizinho], Aunt Nastácia, the cook, the Viscount of Corncobia [Visconde de Sabugosa], a wise corn cob, Quindim, a domesticated rhinoceros, Counselor, a talking donkey, and the Marquis de Stub-Tailed [Marquis de Rabicó], the little pig who was married to Emília, the rag doll that evolved into a human-like being. And Emília is the protagonist of this book, where her mischievous act is recounted: the temporary shrinking of human beings.

Boethius’s Second Commentary on Porphyry’s Isagoge

In Boethius’s second commentary on Porphyry’s “Isagoge,” he delves into the nature of reality and its connection to language and understanding. He begins by discussing the signification of individual things, noting that individuals can be identified either through descriptions or proper names. Boethius emphasizes that understanding plays a crucial role in mediating the relationship between expressions and reality.

When it comes to universal expressions, Boethius presents a more intricate perspective. He believes that universals are abstracted from reality through understanding, which has the power of abstraction and division. Boethius explains this process using the example of a line in a body, where the mind can discern the abstract nature of the line apart from the concrete body. Universals, according to Boethius, exist in singulars but are thought of as universals. He also discusses the process of abstraction, where the likeness of universals is gathered from existing things, such as the likeness of humanity from individual humans.

Boethius’s commentary on Porphyry’s “Isagoge” had a significant impact on medieval Latin logicians in the twelfth century. His interpretations of Aristotelian logic became influential as scholars relied on his commentaries for their understanding of difficult texts. Boethius played a crucial role in transmitting ancient interpretations of Aristotelian logic into the medieval context. His insights on the relationship between expressions, understanding, and reality were highly regarded and shaped subsequent philosophical discussions in the field.

Golden Verses of Pythagoras, Translated With Commentary by Mário Ferreira dos Santos

The unpublished manuscripts of Mário Ferreira dos Santos include commentaries on the Golden Verses of Pythagoras. His intention was to publish them, as he stated:

...“Regarding the commented Golden Verses of Pythagoras, it consists of the following: I have decided to make an edition with the complete translation of the commentaries by Hierocles, because undoubtedly, not only because they are the first commentaries that have reached us, but also because of their immense value. They provide an opportunity for us to awaken awareness in many areas that the conception brought to the world by Pythagoras derived from a much more distant thought, certainly one that also had roots in Melchizedek and in the deepest thought of the Egyptians, and this thought surpasses the characteristics of time and remains eternally current, presenting its complete validity today. I make use of the comments made by other authors, such as Fabre D’Olivet, Paul Carton, etc., and create a kind of synthesis, adding my own contributions alongside Hierocles’s commentaries.”

In his book, “Pythagoras and the Theme of Number,” he expresses his intention to develop a more detailed biography of the Master of Samos, having compiled a large portion of the material to be used. Unfortunately, he did not have time to elaborate on the final text. For this reason, we have included “Pythagorean Thought” published in the Dictionary of Philosophy and Cultural Sciences.

The present edition of the “Commentary on the Golden Verses of Pythagoras” has not been fully corrected by the author, especially in the part corresponding to the “Comments on Hierocles’s Comments,” and it is up to us to complete it as much as possible.

Yolanda Lhullier Santos
Nadiejda Santos Nunes Galvão

Treatise on Symbolics by Mário Ferreira dos Santos

The Treatise on Symbolics by Mário Ferreira dos Santos, featured as the sixth volume in his Encyclopedia of Philosophical Sciences, stands out as a unique and important work within Brazilian philosophy. While delving into a subject relatively unknown in Brazil at the time, the treatise offers a didactic departure from Mário’s personal philosophical exposition. It presents fundamental principles of a science of symbolics, drawing from the works of notable treatise writers such as Matila Ghyka, Mircea Eliade, and René Guénon. The book explores the symbolic interpretations of numbers according to Pythagoreanism, establishing a sensory foundation to enhance comprehension of abstract concepts. Despite its seemingly less philosophical nature, the Treatise unintentionally serves as a remarkably didactic introduction to Mário Ferreira dos Santos’s philosophical thought, offering readers an imaginative and sensory groundwork to tackle the profound abstractions found in the subsequent volumes of the Encyclopedia.

Included in this edition, alongside the complete text of the Treatise on Symbolics, are two additional texts: “The Application of Mathesis in Symbolics” and “Can Symbolics Treated Mathematically Lead Us to the Unity of Religions?” These texts originated from transcriptions of lectures given by Mário Ferreira dos Santos, with no specific date provided. The Treatise itself holds a position of significance within Mário’s extensive philosophical production, showcasing its intellectual autonomy and engaging in dialogue with other philosophies from a highly personal standpoint. While its thematic focus on the study of symbols may initially seem divergent from the other volumes, the author recognizes the treatise’s importance as a methodological and conceptual tool within the overarching philosophical path of the Encyclopedia.

Rules of Daily Life, by Louis Lavelle

Rules of Daily Life, by Louis Lavelle, explores the concept of philosophical spirituality, a rational reflection that elevates the soul and confronts it with higher ideals of beauty and goodness. Unlike religious spirituality, Lavelle’s work is not tied to any specific faith but offers a nourishment for the soul that is relevant to contemporary humanity’s search for meaning. Through the book, Lavelle seeks to transform everyday life, finding depth and significance in even the smallest gestures. His philosophy emphasizes the importance of self-effort and reflection, aiming to uplift and morally elevate one’s personality.

In the book, Lavelle provides rules to follow in everyday life, not unlike the manuals of Christian life that offer guidance based on the Gospel. However, Lavelle’s rules are not mere repetitions of religious teachings but draw inspiration from spiritual literature, extracting their philosophical significance. By seeking rules for everyday life, Lavelle encourages a transformative approach to the mundane, allowing individuals to escape superficiality and discover real depth in their daily experiences. He rejects the notion that everyday life is repetitive and meaningless, instead advocating for a philosophical commitment to uncovering its inherent value.

Introduction to Categorical Syllogisms by Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius

“Introduction to Categorical Syllogisms” (Introductio ad syllogismos categoricos, ISC), authored by Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, is a seminal work on the understanding and exploration of categorical syllogisms, based on Aristotelian principles. This text serves as an elaboration of the material covered in the first book of “On the Categorical Syllogism.” Composed after 513, likely around 523, the ISC delves into the relationship between truth and falsity within various forms of proposition, including those arising from the manipulation of terms within the standard four forms in the square of opposition. The text is particularly notable for its depth of detail, expanding significantly on Boethius’s earlier textbook on the subject, and is speculated to be either unfinished or to have had a second book which has been lost over time.

Boethius’s ISC systematically explores the relationship between subjects and predicates in five possible relations, which he determines in the context of their separation, their inherent nature, their applicability or non-applicability to the subject, and their ability to exceed the subject. The text also explores the role of truth and falsity within each relation, thereby offering profound insights into the logical structuring of categorical syllogisms. This work, therefore, is a critical exploration of the ways in which logic can be applied and understood within the realm of propositional relationships.

The ISC is an integral part of Boethius’s larger exploration of syllogistic reasoning, which also includes his work “On the Categorical Syllogism” (SC). The ISC is noted for its detailed treatment of the subject, which includes, among other things, an expansion on Aristotle’s rules of conversion and a detailed exploration of conversion by contraposition. The ISC, like its companion text the SC, is based heavily on the ideas of Aristotle, Porphyry, Eudemus, and Theophrastus, but it also includes Boethius’s own substantial contributions to the field, notably his insights into the effect of the contents of sentences on their relations. As such, the ISC is not just a reiteration of earlier work but a significant contribution to the field of syllogistic reasoning in its own right.

On Hypothetical Syllogisms, by Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius

Boethius’s treatise On Hypothetical Syllogisms explores the nature and classification of hypothetical sentences and the construction of valid hypothetical syllogisms. The treatise challenges the traditional view that it deals with the logic of sentences and highlights Boethius’s approach to the topic. Boethius distinguishes between hypothetical sentences, which involve conditions, and categorical sentences, which make predications. He identifies two types of hypothetical sentences: those connected by “if” and those connected by “or.” While it may initially seem that Boethius is presenting a sentence logic, he argues that his focus is on the term logic of hypotheticals.

In the treatise, Boethius aims to create a systematic classification and tabulation of hypothetical syllogisms, similar to Aristotle’s categorical syllogistic. He begins by discussing two-term hypothetical sentences and proceeds to analyze three-term and four-term hypothetical sentences. Boethius employs letter symbols to represent sentence types and uses examples of predicates to illustrate their meaning. He establishes different schemes and figures for three-term hypothetical sentences based on the shared middle term. Throughout his analysis, Boethius addresses various constraints and rules that govern the validity of hypothetical syllogisms. While some of his formulations may appear peculiar from a sentence logic perspective, Boethius’s work demonstrates his effort to develop a term logic of hypotheticals that aligns with the results of modern sentence logic. The treatise concludes with a brief examination of hypothetical syllogisms from disjunction, which Boethius argues can be translated into syllogisms from connection.