Quotes from Giordano Bruno

It is Unity that doth enchant me. By her power I am free though thrall, happy in sorrow, rich in poverty, and quick even in death.

Our bodily eye findeth never an end, but is vanquished by the immensity of space.

Deve-se compreender, pois, que a semelhança não envolve proporcionalidade.

An infinite body, according to us, is neither potentially nor actually mobile, neither light nor heavy potentially or actually.

Non so quando, ma so che in tanti siamo venuti in questo secolo per sviluppare arti e scienze, porre i semi della nuova cultura che fiorirà, inattesa, improvvisa, proprio quando il potere si illuderà di avere vinto.

Elpino. We shall say that this finite world [20] with the finite stars embraceth the perfection of all things. Theophilo. You may say so, but you cannot prove it. For the world [20] of this our finite space embraceth indeed the perfection of all those finite objects contained within our space, but not of those infinite potentialities of innumerable other spaces

Thus Democritus and Epicurus, [16] who maintained that everything throughout infinity suffereth renewal and restoration, understood these matters more truly than those who would at all costs maintain belief in the immutability of the universe, alleging a constant and unchanging number of particles of identical material that perpetually undergo transformation, one into another.

Burchio. Even if this be true I do not wish to believe it, for this Infinite can neither be understood by my head nor brooked by my stomach. Although, to tell the truth, I could yet hope that Philotheo were right, so that if by ill luck I were to fall from this world I should always find myself on firm ground.

4] and if we wish only to take the surface of space, [5] we need to go seeking a finite position [4] in the infinite.

Wherefore he who denieth infinite result denieth also infinite power.

Ninthly, only verbally is it possible to deny infinite space, as is done by pertinacious fellows. For the rest of space where the universe is not, which is called void, where indeed it is pretended that nothing doth exist, cannot be conceived as without the capacity to contain no less a magnitude than that which it doth contain.

Theophilo. To come then to the discovery of that which we seek. I say that if in the first efficient Cause there be infinite power, there is also action from which there resulteth a universe of infinite size and worlds infinite in number.

Fourteenthly, if infinite active power doth actuate corporeal and dimensional being, this being must necessarily be infinite; otherwise there would be derogation from the nature and dignity both of creator and of creation.

In the Second Part of this Dialogue, that which hath already been shewn concerning the passive power of the universe is demonstrated for the active power of the efficient cause, set forth with arguments of which the first deriveth from the fact that divine power should not be otiose; particularly positing the effect thereof outside the substance thereof (if indeed aught can be outside it), and that it is no less otiose and invidious if it produce a finite effect than if it produce none.

Non entia sed entium (Não entidades, mas de entidades). Certamente, se parte das substâncias fossem aniquiladas, o mundo se tornaria vazio.

Deixarei de lado a questão sobre o que é uma tolice: a ilusão, ou sua cura. Um pirronista uma vez disse, Quem poderá nos dizer se nosso estado não é o de morte, e dos alegados mortos, o de vida?

Elpino. But since the greatness of God lieth not at all in corporeal size (not to mention that our world doth add nothing to him) so also we should not conceive the greatness of his image to consist in the greater or lesser extent of the size thereof.

A questão é, visto que somos tolos aos olhos de outrem, todos somos tolos, diferentes em espécie, mas de acordo in genere et numero et casu.

Secondly, it is demonstrated that a corporeal object cannot be terminated by an incorporeal object, but either by a Void or by a Plenum, and in either case, beyond the world is Space which is ultimately no other than Matter; this is indeed that same passive force whereby active force, neither grudging nor otiose, is roused to activity. And the vanity is shewn of Aristotle's argument concerning the incompatibility of dimensions.

A natureza clama contra tal insanidade, assegurando-nos que nem o espírito nem o corpo devem temer a morte, porque tanto a forma quanto a matéria são princípios absolutamente inalteráveis.

IN THE third Dialogue there is first denied that base illusion of the shape of the heavens, of their spheres and diversity. For the heaven is declared to be a single general space, embracing the infinity of worlds, though we do not deny that there are other infinite 'heavens' using that word in another sense. For just as this earth hath her own heaven (which is her own region), through which she moveth and hath her course, so the same may be said of each of the innumerable other worlds.

Thirdly, it will be propounded that every star hath motion even as hath our own and those others which are so near to us that we can sensibly perceive the differences in their orbits and in their motions: but those suns, bodies in which fire doth predominate, move differently to the earths in which water predominateth; thus may be understood whence is derived the light diffused by stars, of which some glow of themselves and others by reflection.

Eighthly, concerning another line of reasoning, it is shewn that simple bodies of identical nature in innumerable diverse worlds have similar motion, and that merely arithmetical diversity causeth a difference of locality, each part having his own centre and being also referred to the common centre which cannot be sought within the universe.

But here we must consider that it is highly inconvenient to suppose the Supreme and Highest to be similar merely to a performer on the zither who cannot play in the absence of the instrument; thus would a Creator be unable to create because that which he is able to create cannot be created by him. This would lay down an obvious contradiction which cannot be overlooked save by the most ignorant.