Thomas Hobbes Quote

The first cause of Absurd conclusions I ascribe to the want of Method; in that they begin not their Ratiocination from Definitions; that is, from settled significations of their words: as if they could cast account, without knowing the value of the numerall words, one, two, and three.

The First Part, Chapter 5, p. 20 (See also: Algorithms). - Leviathan (1651)