226. A CONVERSATION WITH SPIRITS AND ANGELS CONCERNING THE INDEFINITE, PHILOSOPHY, FALLACY When some new angels arrived there arose a conversation with them; and after those things had been shown them which are objects of sight, such as those of a city, and many other things, there was a conversation about the diversity of spheres and of situations in heaven, that they were indefinite, which was also shown: moreover, that all variations of state are from the variety of love in the objects. The discourse afterwards was concerning the Indefinite, namely: (1) that things indefinite can by no means exist except from the Infinite: (2) things indefinite, regarded in themselves, are images of the Infinite: (3) when they said that they had been instructed in matters of which previously they were ignorant, I replied to them that they are not taught by me, but by themselves, which to them was a paradox. But it was explained in this way, that man derives philosophical knowledges from himself and from the operation of his own mind, and when he has learnt anything and formulated it into rules, he does not know that it is from himself and in himself, and indeed indefinitely more perfectly [than as he has formulated it]. Also because man is ruled by angels and spirits, I was thus obliged to draw forth those matters through them. From this it can now be concluded how poor and worthless is Philosophy, on account of which nevertheless, men are proclaimed learned; whereas any little child is much more learned of himself, or in himself: (4) It was thus shown that there is a similar fallacy in most things. 1747, Oct. 29, o.s.