Empedocles Redivivus: Poetry and Analogy in Lucretius

Introduction 23
atoms, she is pervaded by the same laws, the so-called foedera naturai, which
are active at every level of the universe: “The general laws he asserts and
explains are to be proved valid in all and every circumstance. The act of interpretation
will therefore consist in understanding the relationship between
individual phenomena and the general law which can explain them.” 97 The
existence of this underlying ratio being taken for granted, Lucretius often
appeals to the “manifest” in order to detect processes indicative and probative
of what happens beneath our senses and thus bring the imperceptible before
our eyes (e.g. manifesta docet res / “plain matter of fact teaches,” 1.893). 98
That is why he systematically invites Memmius to set in motion the “eyes”
of his mind and become a “penetrating reader,” in order to see through the
surface of things and mentally perceive their true nature (e.g. perspicere,
1.478). 99 Moreover, since the process of cognition of the universal atomic
constitution is compared with vision (res quibus occultas penitus convisere possis.
/ “whereby you may see into the heart of things hidden,” 1.145), it bears
connotations of initiation into mysteries. 100
From a more technical perspective, Gentner defines scientific analogies
as follows: “[scientific] analogies can be characterized as structure-mappings
between complex systems. Typically the target system to be understood is new
or abstract and the base system in terms of which the target is described is
familiar and perhaps visualisable.” 101 By calculating the similarities and differences
between source and target domains we are able to extract valid conclusions
about the latter. More precisely, Lucretius envisages the structure of the
universe as “a hierarchy of subordinated and coordinated levels,” to use Hardie’s
words. Along these lines, on the one hand, “large scale events have strict
analogues in small-scale events and vice versa.” 102 So, through a process of
magnifying or shrinking a visible phenomenon, we can mentally shift between
subordinated levels and analogically project our knowledge from the visible
world onto another level of microcosmic or macrocosmic reality. In order to
descend into the microcosm, we should opt for an object from the visible
world that is as neutral in qualities as possible and of limited dimensions; in
other words a very basic atomic combination situated a level above the atomic
in the scale of creation. Then, before visualizing the obscure atomic structure
in question, a certain rational elaboration of the visible object should be made
in order to deconstruct it further into its basic components. 103 On the other
hand, when it comes to coordinated levels, “the gap to be bridged is not one
of size, but of quality, although there may be a discrepancy of scale.” 104 Last
but not least, we should note that the more obscure the phenomenon under
investigation is, the heavier the demand on analogical thinking; that is why
such passages condense clusters of supplementary images.