“How many angels can dance on a pinhead?” Is a phrase that is cited as an example of a meaningless argument discussing insignificant details [1] . In other variations, the angels may “sit” rather than “dance”, and “at the needle tip” rather than “at the pinhead”.
Authorship is usually attributed to the 17th century Protestant theologian William Chillingworth - in Religion of Protestants (1637), he quoted the phrase “Could a million angels sit on a needle tip?” As an example of a pointless question allegedly occupied by medieval scholastics [2] .
However, it is not known that theologians and angelologists of the Middle Ages have real references to such a question; The closest example is the question “Can several angels be in the same place at the same time?” in Thomas Sum of Aquinas (circa 1270) (angels, in his opinion, consist of pure intelligence and have no material embodiment) [2 ] . There is a well-known reference to a similar issue in an anonymous German-language work of the 14th century — “a thousand souls in heaven are sitting on the tip of a needle” —but this work is mystical , not theological [2] .
A variant of origin proposed by the historian of religion , from the work of the British theologian , who used it as a play on words — the needle's point (from English. - “needle tip”) is consonant with needless point (from English - “an unnecessary question”) [2] .
The transition from uncomfortable sitting on the needle tip to dancing on it is attributed to the English philosopher Ralph Kadworth , who used such an option in the True Intellectual System of the Universe (1678), although earlier this phrase was used by Cambridge Neo-Platonists , such as Henry More and Joseph Glenville [ 2] .
But, unlike Chillingworth and Sclater, the Neo-Platonists did not use it as an example of attention to absurdly minute details, but as an example of a wrong formulation of the question - for them the angels were more physical. Therefore, they formulated the end of a phrase so that the play on words was less noticeable — for example, the point of a needle . Finally, in the 18th century, a modern version spread - with a pinhead instead of a needle tip [2] .
See also
- Argue about the shadow of an ass
Notes
- ↑ Julia Cresswell. The Watkins Angels Over 2,000 Entries Dictionary on Angels and Angelic Beings . - Watkins Media Limited, 2012. - p. 149-150. - 320 s. - ISBN 9781780283609 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 Angels on Pinheads and Needles' Points // Notes and Queries. - 2016. - № 63 . - p . 45-47 . - DOI : 10.1093 / notesj / gjv232 .