Ramon Llull and His Logical Works
Ramon Llull (c. 1232–1316) was a Majorcan polymath, theologian, and logician whose prolific output spanned philosophy, theology, and missionary treatises. He developed an elaborate system of combinatorial logic and symbolic representation, often visualized through diagrams and tree structures, which he believed could demonstrate Christian doctrine and facilitate conversion. His works, written in Catalan and Latin (and, by his own account, originally some in Arabic), were widely circulated throughout medieval Europe.
The “Arbor” Tradition
Llull employed tree diagrams (arbor) extensively as pedagogical and philosophical tools. Several of his works feature tree structures as organizing principles—including the Arbor scientiae (Tree of Science), a major encyclopedic work, composed in the mid-1290s, presenting knowledge organized through trees representing different disciplines and divine attributes. The title given here corresponds to the early printed Latin edition of this work (Arbor scientiae venerabilis et caelitus illuminati patris Raymundi Lull), which reflects the medieval manuscript tradition of Llull’s work. Llull’s manuscripts survive in numerous variant titles and versions across European libraries.
