How socioeconomic equalisation generates new ideas of balance | Aeon Essays
The article discusses the medieval philosopher Jacobus de Cess Buridan's thoughts on the Earth's geological processes and how they relate to the concept of balance. Buridan argued that erosion would eventually wear down all mountainous heights, leaving only a sphere of water below. However, he also recognized that this process has been occurring over eternity, which means that all dry land would have already been washed into the sea. To explain why some dry land remains, Buridan proposed an elaborate physical explanation involving heat, cold, evaporation, and condensation, which creates a perpetual cycle of erosion and accumulation. The article suggests that Buridan's thinking on balance is not just about finding a concrete idea of equilibrium but also about recognizing the potentialities of balance, which can re-imagine how the natural world works.