There is a famous passage in Molière’s play The Imaginary Invalid in which he satirizes the tactic of tautology given as explanation.  A group of medieval doctors are giving an oral exam to a doctoral candidate, and they ask him why opium causes people to get sleepy.  The candidate responds: Mihi à docto DoctoreDomandatur causam & rationem, quareOpium facit dormire ?A quoy respondeo,Quia est in eoVirtus dormitiua,Cuius est naturaSensus assoupire. Which is translated: I am asked by the learned doctor the cause and reason why opium causes sleep.  To which I reply, because it has a dormitive property, whose nature is to lull the senses to sleep. Of course, “dormitive” is derived from the Latin “dormire,” which means to sleep.  Thus, Read More ›