2263. THAT THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEN IS ONLY A VOCABULARY. I spoke with spirits concerning the philosophy of the world, wherein they place wisdom, [to the effect] that it is but a vocabulary; for it is there treated as of qualities, accidents, forces [viribus] substances, and the like, as also of spirits, and other such matters, and they care for nothing else than to know what these words signify, as [for instance], what [is signified] by accidents, substances, and many other [words], and they dispute concerning the signification of words, as if there was anything real therein, when yet they are only words. In like manner when any signification is found out [invenitur] whether or no they signify it, so that they may be comprehended by one word, therefore by one idea. But those who do this possess many truths, because they were able to see it from experience in themselves and the world but because they dispute about these things, everything becomes confused and dust, and they inhere therein, consequently in material and corporeal things, so that hence [results] nothing but darkening [obfuscatio] the true light [lumen].