My summer research position with Professor Tim Raylor entailed interpreting and analyzing Hobbesian Geometric Proofs. In order to do this, I began by reading a book on Hobbes that served as a general introduction to his philosophy and works. Besides Leviathan, the book debriefed Hobbes’ work in Mathematics, namely geometry. Hobbes, although poorly known, was a man of many interests.
Among his many geometry goals, Hobbes wanted to square the circle. His issue was a lack of faith in algebra. For this reason, much of his work is mathematically incorrect. My work with Tim, however, proved to me that it was still valuable in gaining a comprehensive understanding of Hobbes’ work.
Much of his proofs are handwritten by either Hobbes himself or a scribe, and are in Latin. There were also, as one might expect in a manuscript, many draft versions of figures, appearing side-by-side or poorly erased and redrawn above. For this reason, much of my work of transcribing began with mere interpretation. Which image was the final? Which letter was the one poorly rendered on this manuscript? And so on.
After interpreting the figures to the best of my ability, I would discuss with Tim to ensure I was on the right track. From there, I would sketch an image of the figure by hand, and then open Adobe Illustrator to begin rendering it in its final form. This required a steady background with the program, in particular the ability to draw complex shapes and forms. After rendering and labeling the images, I would upload them to Dropbox for Tim’s future publication. And the work continues. This summer was not enough time to finish the dozens of manuscripts Hobbes had worked on, revealing the depth of his rather occlusive interest.
In engaging in this project I learned, at a surface level, the ins and outs of Adobe software, and gained a deeper appreciation for Hobbes as a thinker. I also learned how to navigate solo problem-solving and zoom communication as a modus operandi– something I’d only done for school before. In many ways this was cumbersome, and at times frustrating, but I think these were lessons in themselves. I learned how to be more patient and flexible. I learned how to approach a task I’d never done before (mainly the fear that came along with it). In this way, the research was immensely helpful to me as I will continue to face projects I am in no way familiar with– and expected to understand and transform.