Flatland, Edwin A. Abbott [books on motivation TXT] 📗

Flatland

By Edwin A. Abbott.

Table of Contents Titlepage Imprint Dedication Preface to the Second and Revised Edition, 1884 Flatland Part I: This World I: Of the Nature of Flatland II: Of the Climate and Houses in Flatland III: Concerning the Inhabitants of Flatland IV: Concerning the Women V: Of Our Methods of Recognizing One Another VI: Of Recognition by Sight VII: Concerning Irregular Figures VIII: Of the Ancient Practice of Painting IX: Of the Universal Colour Bill X: Of the Suppression of the Chromatic Sedition XI: Concerning Our Priests XII: Of the Doctrine of Our Priests Part II: Other Worlds XIII: How I Had a Vision of Lineland XIV: How I Vainly Tried to Explain the Nature of Flatland XV: Concerning a Stranger from Spaceland XVI: How the Stranger Vainly Endeavoured to Reveal to Me in Words the Mysteries of Spaceland XVII: How the Sphere, Having in Vain Tried Words, Resorted to Deeds XVIII: How I Came to Spaceland, and What I Saw There XIX: How, Though the Sphere Showed Me Other Mysteries of Spaceland, I Still Desired More; and What Came of It XX: How the Sphere Encouraged Me in a Vision XXI: How I Tried to Teach the Theory of Three Dimensions to My Grandson, and with What Success XXII: How I Then Tried to Diffuse the Theory of Three Dimensions by Other Means, and of the Result Endnotes List of Illustrations Colophon Uncopyright Imprint

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To
The Inhabitants of space in general
And H. C. in particular
This Work is Dedicated
By a Humble Native of Flatland
In the Hope that
Even as he was Initiated into the Mysteries
Of three Dimensions
Having been previously conversant
With only two
So the Citizens of that Celestial Region
May aspire yet higher and higher
To the Secrets of four five or even six Dimensions
Thereby contributing
To the Enlargement of the imagination
And the possible Development
Of that most rare and excellent Gift of modesty
Among the Superior Races
Of solid humanity

Preface to the Second and Revised Edition, 1884

By the Editor

If my poor Flatland friend retained the vigour of mind which he enjoyed when he began to compose these Memoirs, I should not now need to represent him in this preface, in which he desires, firstly, to return his thanks to his readers and critics in Spaceland, whose appreciation has, with unexpected celerity, required a second edition of his work; secondly, to apologize for certain errors and misprints (for which, however, he is not entirely responsible); and, thirdly, to explain one or two misconceptions. But he is not the Square he once was. Years of imprisonment, and the still heavier burden of general incredulity and mockery, have combined with the natural decay of old age to erase from his mind many of the thoughts and notions, and much also of the terminology, which he acquired during his short stay in Spaceland. He has, therefore, requested me to reply in his behalf to two special objections, one of an intellectual, the other of a moral nature.

The first objection is, that a Flatlander, seeing a Line, sees something that must be thick to the eye as well as long to the eye (otherwise it would not be visible, if it had not some thickness); and consequently he ought (it is argued) to acknowledge that his countrymen are not only long and broad, but also (though doubtless in a very slight degree) thick or high. This objection is plausible, and, to Spacelanders, almost irresistible, so that, I confess, when I first heard it, I knew not what to reply. But my poor old friend’s answer appears to me completely to meet it.

“I admit,” said he⁠—when I mentioned to him this objection⁠—“I admit the truth of your critic’s facts, but I deny his conclusions. It is true that we have really in Flatland a Third unrecognized Dimension called ‘height,’ just as it is also true that you have really in Spaceland a Fourth unrecognized Dimension, called by no name at present, but which I will call ‘extra-height.’ But we can no more take cognizance of our ‘height’ than you can of your ‘extra-height.’ Even I⁠—who have been in Spaceland, and have had the privilege of understanding for twenty-four hours the meaning of ‘height’⁠—even I cannot now comprehend it, nor realize it by the sense of sight or by any process of reason; I can but apprehend it by faith.

“The reason is obvious. Dimension implies direction, implies measurement, implies the more and the less. Now, all our lines are equally and infinitesimally thick (or high, whichever you like); consequently, there is nothing in them to lead our minds to the conception of that Dimension. No ‘delicate micrometer’⁠—as has been suggested by one too hasty Spaceland critic⁠—would in the least avail us; for we should not know what to measure, nor in what direction. When we see a Line, we see something that is long and bright;