Radix Omnis Cogitatio

by Jesus Borrego Gill

​

Descartes, writing to Picot, who translated the Principia Philosophiae into French, observed: "Thus the whole of philosophy is like a tree: the roots are metaphysics, the trunk is physics, and the branches that issue from the trunk are all the other sciences.”

 

But in what soil do the roots of the tree of philosophy have their hold? Out of what ground do they draw their nourishing juices and strength? What element, concealed in the ground, enters and lives in the roots that support and nourish the tree?23

 

PATAPHYSICS of course!

 

This is not to suggest that one should confine Pataphysics to the domain of philosophy. Pataphysics encapsulates philosophy! -  A Priori, this is obvious because “existence” has no more reason to exist than “philosophy” has to exist. A Posteriori, it is equally obvious that all manifestations of philosophy, including this one, are aberrant as their necessity is entirely contingent upon pataphysical concretions. - Gil

 

What is Pataphysics?