Demonstrative art

Demonstrative art is a work by the Catalan philosopher, theologian and mystic Ramon Llull (1232-1316), in which he presents his combinatorial method, known as “Ars Magna” or “the Great Art”. This method, which marked a milestone in the history of logic and thought, is a systematic and universal strategy for discovering truth in any field of knowledge.
The title, Demonstrative Art, refers to Llull’s rigorous and systematic approach, which recalls the demonstrative method of Euclidean geometry. However, Llull goes further, trying to apply his method not only to the exact sciences, but also to the human sciences, theology and philosophy.
In Demonstrative Art, Llull presents a set of principles and rules for combining and reorganizing concepts and premises, with the aim of generating new ideas and discoveries. Llull believed that his method was a tool to understand divinity and reach absolute truth, being a precursor of combinatorial logic and computer science.
Llull designed a system of geometric figures that represent the concepts and possible combinations. These figures, which function as a kind of “thinking machine”, allow us to explore all possible combinations of concepts and discover previously hidden relationships and truths.
Demonstrative art is a profound and ambitious work that reflects Llull’s vision of the universality and interconnectedness of all things. Although it is a complex and challenging text, it is also a fundamental piece in the history of logic and philosophical thought, and a testimony to the creativity and depth of medieval thought.