Les préliminaires de l''Art' lullien dans le "Libre de contemplació"

Abstract

If we are to believe the testimony of the Vita coetanea, Llull would have found his Art in a sudden "illumination". However, a careful study of the Libre de contemplació shows that the Lullian style could only emerge after several previous attempts and labor-intensive preparations. In fact, the majority of the later systematized terms appear in this monumental work in a disorderly manner; especially the concept of "divine virtues" or "dignities". The use of letter symbols indicates what will later be the indispensable alphabet for building combinatorics. Finally, the reference to "necessary reasons" shows that Llull trusts a faith-based understanding alone to fathom the highest metaphysical and theological truths.