| − | A devout Catholic, Fermat held a judicial office within the Church, and served as ''parlementaire'' in Toulouse. He was certainly acquainted with the writings of [[Thomas Aquinas]] and the evidence of his penetrating intellect. It is entirely possible that the perceived impossibility of a proof of the theorem Fermat proposed was in itself a clear demonstration of the realization of the possibility that what is famously called "Fermat's Last Theorem" was a transcendental proof of the limitations of human intellect and of the limitations of mathematical and scientific methods in the presence of the wisdom and intelligence of the one transcendent [[God]] comprehending of all things subsumed under the Omniscient and Omnipotent Divine Rule. It is indirectly a remarkable proof that man is not infinitely capable ultimately of finally understanding all things, and is not God. Like the [[Christian mysteries]], Fermat's Last Theorem is above the intellect, but not opposed to it.<ref>[http://platonic-philosophy.org/files/Perl%20-%20The%20Good%20of%20the%20Intellect.pdf The Good of the Intellect, Eric D. Perl (platonic-philosophy.org)] pdf. "For Plotinus...the encounter with the Good demands a reaching beyond intellect, but is in no way opposed to or merely alongside intellect as an alternative to it."</ref> Pierre de Fermat's marginal notation may be an informal expression of his personal insight to the marvelous wonder of this transcendent truth. | + | A devout Catholic, Fermat held a judicial office within the Church, and served as ''parlementaire'' in Toulouse. He was certainly acquainted with the writings of [[Thomas Aquinas]] and the evidence of his penetrating intellect. It is entirely possible that the perceived impossibility of a proof of the theorem Fermat proposed was in itself a clear demonstration of the realization of the possibility that what is famously called "Fermat's Last Theorem" was a transcendental proof of the limitations of human intellect and of the limitations of mathematical and scientific methods in the presence of the wisdom and intelligence of the one transcendent [[God]] comprehending of all things subsumed under the Omniscient and Omnipotent Divine Rule. It is indirectly a remarkable proof that man is not infinitely capable ultimately of finally understanding all things, and is not God. Like the [[Christian mysteries]], Fermat's Last Theorem is above the intellect, but not opposed to it.<ref>See the following: |
| | + | *[http://platonic-philosophy.org/files/Perl%20-%20The%20Good%20of%20the%20Intellect.pdf The Good of the Intellect, Eric D. Perl (platonic-philosophy.org)] pdf. "For Plotinus...the encounter with the Good demands a reaching beyond intellect, but is in no way opposed to or merely alongside intellect as an alternative to it."</ref> Pierre de Fermat's marginal notation may be an informal expression of his personal insight to the "marvelous proof" wonder of this transcendent truth. |