246 GIORDANO BRUNO PART 



the old conception of body and space, and through whom 

 the critical separation of the one from the other was first 

 rendered possible. It is curious that Bruno did not think 

 of applying to the continuous ether any geometrical 

 measure ; had he done so, he would have understood 

 the value of the new theory of infinitesimals and 

 irrationals which he opposed so strongly. Again, had 

 he carried out more fully the distinction which he 

 draws between the atom and the terminus or limit, the 

 same result would have followed. Pure geometry is 

 the geometry of the limit ; for the limit is not only 

 between atom and atom, or body and body, but also 

 between atom and vacuum or ether. In this sense it is 

 both continuous and figured, the compatibility of which 

 qualities Bruno had denied ; the continuous is measured, 

 not by making it discrete, but by making the number, 

 the measure, fluid or continuous. 



Lasswitz has shown that there are in Bruno's theory 

 three distinct aspects, not, however, clearly separated one 

 from another, of the atomic hypothesis: they may be 

 named severally the metaphysical, the physical, and the 

 Meta- critical aspects. From the metaphysical point of view 

 atomism, the atom is the ultimately simple, indeterminate 

 substance of things ; its conception results from the 

 effort to find the real substance which is outside of, 

 and unaffected by, the change and decay apparent on 

 the surface of things, but felt to be unreal. Simplicity, 

 unity, substance, is that which is sought, an abiding 

 somewhat underlying the flux of the universe, which is 

 regarded as an illusory appearance to sense. From this 

 aspect it is that the identity of minimum and maximum, 

 of the least with the greatest, is to be explained. 

 Number, plurality, and diversity no longer apply to the 

 absolutely simple : all are determinations of human and 



