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Work #1769

De Animalibus

Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus)
c. 1258–1262 · Latin
Encyclopedic paraphrase and commentary in 26 books · Aristotelian natural history / Dominican scholasticism

Experiment alone certifies in these things — the Universal Doctor observes nature on its own terms

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute De Animalibus
Time · Extent Both
Time · Ontological Status Substantival
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Non-Deterministic
Time · Traversability Linear
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Finite
Space · Ontological Status Substantival
Space · Curvature not engaged
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Local
Matter · Extent Finite
Matter · Ontological Status Substantival
Matter · Conservation Conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Local
Observer · Time Instance Single
Observer · Space Instance Single
Observer · Knowledge Extent Mediated
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Partial
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Active
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency Personal
Observer · Moral Authority Reason
Observer · Theological Method
Energy · Extent Finite
Energy · Ontological Status Substantival
Energy · Conservation Conserved
Energy · Dispersibility Irreversible
Information · Ontological Status Substantival
Information · Cosmic Conservation Conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Non-conserved
Information · Granularity not engaged

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

Time

De Animalibus

Both divine eternity and created temporal order. The biological world operates within linear, uni-directional time.

Space

De Animalibus

Finite, local, three-dimensional. Animals act on contiguous bodies through local contact; habitats are spatially defined.

Matter

De Animalibus

Substantival, conserved, local. The hylomorphic analysis of animal bodies presupposes real, knowable matter.

Observer

De Animalibus

Embodied, active, empirically engaged. Albert reports his own observations alongside Aristotle's textual authority.

Energy

De Animalibus

Finite, substantival, conserved. Animal motion and vital heat follow Aristotelian principles.

Information

De Animalibus

Preserved in texts and through observation, but fragile. Personal conservation is not addressed in a zoological context.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

De Animalibus

The work's tension is between textual authority and empirical observation. Albert paraphrases Aristotle faithfully but also reports his own observations that sometimes contradict the master. He does not always resolve these conflicts, leaving the reader to decide between Aristotelian authority and Albertine experience.