"The Thing Desribes Itself"

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone,

I hoping that someone can help me. I'm seeking the name of the person that first said: "The thing desribes itself." I was told that the person was a Roman. I searched google and came up with nothing.

The context of the quote is a discussion of the nature of reality. The Roman was responding to the lengthy greek deconstruction of the concept of "table".

Thank you for any leads that this community can provide.

Sincerely,

Frank Morris
NYC

[Primus Aurelius Timavus]

I'm sorry, Frank. I've looked around and could not find the source of that phrase. I'm surprised no one else seems to know either.

Tergestus

[Gnaeus Dionysius Draco]

Frank, are you sure it was really an authentic conversation between a Roman and a Greek? Some Renaissance writers or philosophers of later times used the Roman or Hellenist Empire as a backdrop for modern thinking.

Vale!
Draco

[Anonymous]

Draco,

I'm not sure of the context of, "The thing desribes itself". Perhaps its not a real quote.

Frank

[Horatius Piscinus]

Salve Frank Neo Eborrachensis

No, I think I have heard this before. Not sure where though. There is a comparable quote, I think from Cicero, "It would be obvious to a blind man." I might look in Cicero's De Natura Deorum to see if your quote is there.

Vale