The term "commonplace book" comes from the latin phrase locus communis, which itself is from the greek τόπος κοινός (tópos koinós), meaning "general topic", or "an idea applicable to many particular cases"; a gathering of ideas in various forms that are applicable if not universally at least outside their original context, and organized so as to encourage exploration of their relation one with another.
I hope to use this body of text as a memex, an interconnected body of notes, both original and taken from others. Some of them are rough drafts, and all of them are prone to change - this will be, if I can manage it, a living document.
See the colophon for details of implementation.
See yourself for what to do with this knowledge.