angels dancing on the head of a pin (English)Origin & history An allusion to the theological question “How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?” — a question cited to debunk mediaeval angelology in particular and scholasticism in general. "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin" is a famous example of the unanswerable questions that plague religion, where there's no empirical way to answer them, and no practical consequence for the results. Pinhead definition is - the head of a pin. (alternatively "How many angels can stand on the point of a pin?" It also has been linked to the fall of Constantinople, with the imagery of scholars debating while the Turks besieged the city. A friend of mine uses it when he hears someone basically going verbally overboard (dancing) to justify or rationalize or make an excuse for something, whether a course of action, a conclusion, a decision, etc., when ultimately that person has very little basis or … Definition of angels-dancing-on-the-head-of-a-pin in the Definitions.net dictionary. According to unimpeachable sources, it’s not how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, it’s how many can do it on the point of a needle — which, of course, makes more sense. Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologica, written c. 1270, includes discussion of several questions regarding angels such as, "Can several angels be in the same place? Dancing on the Head of a Pin is the second book in Remy Chandler series written by Thomas E. Sniegoski. What does pin expression mean? [6] One theory is that it is an early modern fabrication,[a] used to discredit scholastic philosophy at a time when it still played a significant role in university education. Angels-dancing-on-the-head-of-a-pin meaning Adjectival or attributive form of angels dancing on the head of a pin. might previously have been called a complex question, but now we can call it an ordinary question that presupposes the proposition ``It is possible that an angel dance on the head of a pin.'' Since angels are non-corporeal and do not occupy space, an infinite number of them could be … However, the reference is to souls sitting on a needle: tusent selen siczen in dem himelrich uff einer nadel spicz — "in heaven a thousand souls can sit on the point of a needle."[11]. Meaning of angels-dancing-on-the-head-of-a-pin. Second, the earliest citation I can find is from a book by Ralph Cudworth in the … How to use kingpin in a sentence. : The question "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" How to use pinhead in a sentence. Harrison proposes that the reason an English writer first introduced the "needle’s point" into a critique of medieval angelology is that it makes for a clever pun on "needless point". (noun) Dictionary ! 2. Pin - Idioms by The Free Dictionary ... how many angels can dance on the head of a pin; in merry pin; kingpin; neat as a new pin; neat as a pin; not care two pins (about something) It stars Remy Chandler, an investigator, who just happens to be a former angel. Algebra and calculus based. (alternatively "How many angels can stand on the point of a pin? Video shows what angels dancing on the head of a pin means. I'm not sure that Aquinas originated the question; maybe someone with a better grounding in Catholic thought can help us out. Veel vertaalde voorbeeldzinnen bevatten "dance on the head of a pin" – Nederlands-Engels woordenboek en zoekmachine voor een miljard Nederlandse vertalingen. I teach Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism. [8], A letter written to The Times in 1975[10] identified a close parallel in a 14th-century mystical text, the Swester Katrei. He explained that he can only intervene after all the plans are fully formed. Advertisement Sentence Examples. angels dancing on the head of a pin pl ( plural only ) ( figurative) The subject of arcane intellectual speculation; used as an example subject of enquiry the pursuit of which is of no value . Meaning of angels-dancing-on-the-head-of-a-pin. Achetez neuf ou d'occasion – Dictionnaire français-anglais et moteur de recherche de traductions françaises. Angels are non-bodily beings, but dancing is by definition a bodily activity. pin phrase. into infinity, but perhaps the answer is simply one: one female angel dancing alone in her stocking feet, a small jazz combo working in the background. Is a head of a pin 37 millimeters? 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