Ramon Llull.

Ramon Llull (1235 – June 29, 1315) (sometimes Raymond Lully or in Latin Raimundus or Raymundus Lullus) was a writer and philosopher born into a wealthy family in Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands, now part of Spain. He wrote the first major work of Catalan language literature. Recently surfaced manuscripts show him to have anticipated by several centuries prominent work on elections theory. He is sometimes considered a pioneer of computation theory. Download high resolution version (928x1084, 241 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (928x1084, 241 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Events Anglo-Norman invasion of Connacht St. ... June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ... Events August 13 - Louis X of France marries Clemence dAnjou. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... A philosopher is a person who thinks deeply regarding people, society, the world, and/or the universe. ... Palma de Mallorca Palma de Mallorca is the major city and port in the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. ... Majorca (Mallorca in Catalan and Spanish, sometimes also encountered in English),: from Latin insula maior, later Maiorica, (major island) is one of the Balearic Islands (Catalan: Illes Balears, Spanish: Islas Baleares), which are located in the Mediterranean Sea and are a part of Spain. ... Capital Palma de Mallorca Official languages Catalan and Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 17th  4 992 km²  1,0% Population  â€“ Total (2003)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked 14th  916 968  2,2%  183,69/km² Demonym  â€“ English  â€“ Catalan  â€“ Spanish Balearic balear balear Statute of Autonomy March 1, 1983 ISO 3166... Catalan (Català) or Valencian (Valencià) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra and co-official in several regions of Spain. ... Announcement of elections in Brunate (near Como), Italy A voting system is a process that allows a group of individuals to choose between a number of options, and determines the preferred or winning option based on the number of votes each option receives. ...

Early life

Llull was well educated, and became the tutor of James II of Aragon. He wrote in Arabic, Latin and Catalan. In 1265 he had a religious epiphany, and became a tertiary Franciscan. His first major work Art Abreujada d 'Atrobar Veritat (The Art of Finding Truth) was written in Catalan and then translated into Latin. He wrote treatises on alchemy and botany, Ars Magna, and Llibre de meravelles. He wrote the romantic novel Blanquerna, the first major work of literature written in Catalan, and perhaps the first European novel. Llull pressed for the study of Arabic and other then-insufficiently studied languages in Spain for the purpose of converting Muslims to Christianity. James II, King of Aragon (10 August 1267 – 2 November 1327), in Spanish Jaime II, in Catalan Jaume II, also James II of Barcelona, called The Just (Catalan: El Just) was the second son of Peter III of Aragon and Constance of Sicily. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Catalan (Català) or Valencian (Valencià) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra and co-official in several regions of Spain. ... For broader historical context, see 1260s and 13th century. ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... DeFoes Robinson Crusoe, Newspaper edition published in 1719 A novel (from French nouvelle, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... Arabic (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), peaceful submission (to the will of God)) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, the worlds second-largest religion, and the fastest growing religion in the world. ...

Schopenhauer described Llull's conversion, as recorded in Johann Jakob Brucker's Critical History of Philosophy, Book IV, Part I, page 10. "Hence men who have led a very adventurous life under the pressure of passions, men such as kings, heroes, or adventurers, have often been seen suddenly to change, resort to resignation and penance, and become hermits and monks. To this class belong all genuine accounts of conversion, for instance, that of Raymond Lull, who had long wooed a beautiful woman, was at last admitted to her chamber, and was looking forward to the fulfillment of all his desires, when, opening her dress, she showed him her bosom terribly eaten away with cancer. From that moment, as if he had looked into hell, he was converted; leaving the court of the King of Majorca, he went into the wilderness to do penance." (The World as Will and Representation, Vol. I, § 68. Arthur Schopenhauer Arthur Schopenhauer (February 22, 1788 – September 21, 1860) was a German philosopher born in Gdańsk (Danzig), Poland. ... Johann Jakob Brucker (1696 - 1770) was a German historian of philosophy. ... The World as Will and Representation (original German title, Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung; sometimes translated as The World as Will and Idea) is the central work of Arthur Schopenhauer and one of the most important philosophical works of the 19th century. ...

Ars generalis ultima (Ars Magna)

Around 1275, Llull designed a method, which he first published in full in his Ars generalis ultima or Ars magna (1305), of combining attributes selected from a number of lists. Events Eleanor de Montfort is captured by pirates in the employ of Edward I of England to prevent her marriage to Llywelyn the Last, prince of Jews over the age of 7 to wear the yellow badge and makes usury illegal Jean de Meun writes the second portion of the... Events August 5 - English troops capture William Wallace Wenceslas III becomes king of Bohemia The Papacy removed to France following riots in the Papal State. ...

It was intended as a debating tool for winning Muslims to the Christian faith through logic and reason. Through his detailed analytical efforts, Llull built an in-depth theological reference by which a reader could enter in which an argument or question about the Christian faith. The reader would then turn to the appropriate index and page to find the correct answer.

Llull also invented numerous 'machines' for the purpose, each of which consisted of two or more paper discs inscribed with alphabet letters that referred to the lists of attributes. The discs could be rotated individually to generate a large number of combinations of ideas.

The method was an early attempt to use logical means to produce knowledge. Llull hoped to show that Christian doctrines could be obtained artificially from a fixed set of preliminary ideas. For example, one of the tables listed the attributes of God: goodness, greatness, eternity, power, wisdom, will, virtue, truth and glory. Llull knew that all believers in the monotheistic religions - whether Jews, Muslims or Christians - would agree with these attributes, giving him a firm platform from which to argue.

The idea was developed further by Giordano Bruno in the 16th century, and by Gottfried Leibniz in the 17th century for investigations into the philosophy of science. Leibniz gave Llull's idea the name ars combinatoria, by which it is now often known. Some computer scientists have adopted Llull as a sort of founding father, claiming that his system of logic was the beginning of information science. Giordano Bruno Giordano Bruno (1548-1600), was an Italian philosopher, astronomer/astrologer, spy and occultist executed as a heretic, regarded by some as a martyr to the cause of freedom of thought because his ideas went against the Church doctrine. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (also von Leibni(t)z) (July 1 (June 21 Old Style) 1646, Leipzig – November 14, 1716, Hanover) was a German polymath, deemed a genius in his day and since. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... A computer is a machine capable of undergoing complex calculations. ... Information science or informatics is the science of information. ...

There is an episode in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (II:III:V; 1721), where the hero is shown a mechanical engine that generates knowledge by combining words at random. Swift does not mention Llull by name, but that passage can only be a parody of his method. Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (November 30, 1667 – October 19, 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer who is famous for works like Gullivers Travels, A Modest Proposal, and A Tale of a Tub. ... Gulliver Gullivers Travels (1726, amended 1735) is a novel by Jonathan Swift that is both a satire on human nature and a parody of the travellers tales literary sub-genre. ... In contemporary usage, parody is a form of satire that imitates another work of art in order to ridicule it. ...

Llull was vocally opposed by the Grand Inquisitor of Aragon, Nicolau Aymerich. As a result, Pope Gregory XI banned some of his writings. Artistic (i. ... Capital Zaragoza Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 4th  47 719 km²  9,4% Population  â€“ Total (2003)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked 11th  1 217 514  2,9%  25,51/km² Demonym  â€“ English  â€“ Spanish  Aragonese  aragonés Statute of Autonomy August 16, 1982 ISO 3166-2 AR Parliamentary representation  â€“ Congress seats  â€“ Senate... Nicolau Aymerich, b. ... Gregory XI, né Pierre Roger de Beaufort (ca. ...

First mission

In 1285 Llull visited Rome and from there embarked on a mission to convert the 'infidels' of Tunis to Christianity. He was violently expelled from Tunis, in an incident which was magnified by some later historians into a stoning to death, and therefore a martyrdom. On his return, Llull began to preach for a unification of the three monotheistic faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - which together, he hoped, would be able to defeat the Asian invaders then threatening Europe and the Middle East. For broader historical context, see 1280s and 13th century. ...

Llull had always found his spiritual beliefs close to those of Francis of Assisi, and around 1295 he joined the Franciscan order. Francis of Assisi by El Greco Saint Francis of Assisi (1182 – 4 October 1226) founded the Franciscan Order or Friars Minor. He is the patron saint of animals, merchants, Catholic action and the environment. ... Events Mongol leader Ghazan Khan is converted to Islam, ending a line of Tantric Buddhist leaders. ...

In 1297 Llull met Duns Scotus, after which he was given the nickname Doctor Illuminatus. Events 8 January - Monaco gains independence. ... Blessed John Duns Scotus (c. ...

Second mission

Llull travelled to Tunis a second time in about 1314, and wrote numerous letters to the king of Tunis, but little else is known about this part of his life.

Third mission

In the early 14th century Llull visited North Africa on a reconnaissance mission for a crusade being planned by the Pope. He returned in 1308, reporting that the conquest should be achieved through prayer, not through military force. Llull died at home in Palma some years later. A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... Events Henry VII is elected as king of the Holy Roman Empire. ...

Reputation after death

Posthumously, Llull became celebrated as a great alchemist, although he had been opposed to occult beliefs. At one time he was credited with discovering ether, in about 1275, although there is no contemporary evidence for this. Flash point -45 °C Autoignition temperature 170 °C R/S statement R: 12-19-22-66-67 S: 9-16-29-33 RTECS number KI5775000 Supplementary data page Structure and properties n, εr, etc. ... Events Eleanor de Montfort is captured by pirates in the employ of Edward I of England to prevent her marriage to Llywelyn the Last, prince of Jews over the age of 7 to wear the yellow badge and makes usury illegal Jean de Meun writes the second portion of the...

Chairs for the propagation of the theories of Llull were set up at the University of Barcelona and the University of Valencia. His rationalistic mysticism was formally condemned by Pope Gregory XI in 1376 and the condemnation was renewed by Pope Paul IV. The University of Barcelona (Catalan: Universitat de Barcelona, UB) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Spain. ... Gregory XI, né Pierre Roger de Beaufort (ca. ... Paul IV, né Giovanni Pietro Carafa (June 28, 1476 – August 18, 1559) was Pope from May 23, 1555 until his death. ...

Nonetheless, the Roman Catholic Church has given Llull the status of a Blessed (Bl. Ramon Lull), in that his cult was confirmed in 1858 by Pope Pius IX, although he has not been canonized. He has also been called, 'Doctor Illuminatus', but is not one of the 33 Doctors of the Church. The Roman Catholic Church (also known as the Catholic Church) is that Christian Church which is led by the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that it is the one holy catholic and apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ. ... Blessed Pope Pius IX, born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti (May 13, 1792 – February 7, 1878), was pope for a record pontificate (not counting the Apostle St. ... In Roman Catholicism, a Doctor of the Church is a theologian from whose teachings the whole Christian church is held to have derived great advantage and to whom eminent learning and great sanctity have been attributed by a proclamation of the Pope or of an ecumenical council. ...

He is regarded as one of the most influential authors in Catalan; the language is sometimes referred to as la llengua de Llull, as other languages might be referred to as la langue de Molière (French) or la lengua de Cervantes (Castilian).

Mathematics and statistics

With the 2001 discovery of his lost manuscripts Ars notandi, Ars eleccionis, and Alia ars eleccionis, Llull is given credit for discovering the Borda count and Condorcet criterion, which Jean-Charles de Borda and Marquis de Condorcet independently discovered centuries later. ^[1] The terms Llull winner and Llull loser are ideas in contemporary voting systems studies that are named in honor of Llull. Also, Llull is recognized as pioneer of computation theory, especially due to his great influence on Gottfried Leibniz. The Borda count is a voting system used for single-winner elections in which each voter rank-orders the candidates. ... The Condorcet candidate or Condorcet winner of an election is the candidate who, when compared in turn with each of the other candidates, is preferred over the other candidate. ... Jean-Charles de Borda (May 4, 1733 - February 19, 1799) was a French mathematician, physicist, political scientist, and sailor. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Voters at the voting booths in the US in 1945 Voting systems are methods (algorithms) for groups of people to select one or more options from many, taking into account the individual preferences of the group members. ... Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (also von Leibni(t)z) (July 1 (June 21 Old Style) 1646, Leipzig – November 14, 1716, Hanover) was a German polymath, deemed a genius in his day and since. ...

Other recent coverage

Martin Gardner has written extensively about Llull. His analyses can be found in Logic Machines and Diagrams and Science - Good, Bad and Bogus. Martin Gardner (born October 21, 1914) is an American recreational mathematician, magician, skeptic, and author of the long-running but now discontinued Mathematical Games column in Scientific American. ...

Bibliography

Llull is known to have written at least 265 works, including:

• The Book of the Lover and the Beloved
• Blanquerna (a novel; 1283)
• Desconort (on the superiority of reason)
• Tree of Science (1295)
• Tractatus novus de astronomia
• Ars Magna (The Great Art) (1305) or Ars Generalis Ultima (The Ultimate General Art)
• Ars Brevis (The Short Art; an abbreviated version of the Ars Magna)
• Llibre de meravelles
• Practica compendiosa
• Liber de Lumine (The Book of Light)
• Ars Infusa (The Inspired Art)
• Book of Propositions
• Liber Chaos (The Book of Chaos)
• Book of the Seven Planets
• Liber Proverbiorum (Book of Proverbs)
• Book on the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
• Ars electionis (on voting)
• Ars notatoria
• Introductoria Artis demonstrativae
• Book of the Gentile and the Three Wise Men

About another 400 works are doubtfully or spuriously attributed to him. For broader historical context, see 1280s and 13th century. ... Events Mongol leader Ghazan Khan is converted to Islam, ending a line of Tantric Buddhist leaders. ...

Notes

1. ^  G. Hägele and F. Pukelsheim (2001). Llull's writings on electoral systems. Studia Lulliana 3: 3-38.

External links

• Ramon Llull (Lletra, espai virtual de literatura catalana)
• English translations of lullian works, freeware version of Ars Magna
• Ramon Llull Database, University of Barcelona
• Theosophy Library Online
• Patron Saints Index
• Catholic Encyclopedia