Introduction to the method of Leonardo da Vinci (Trans. from Fr. by Anatol Perepadia) In Vsesvit, No 4 (166), 1972, pp. 162-175.

This article is an abridged translation from French of Paul Valéry's essay Introduction to the Method of Leonardo da Vinci. In this text, the author skillfully presents the very principle of cognition, applying it directly in the process of writing the essay.

The basis of the proposed method is the search for the initial principle within the object of cognition and its transformation into the form of an image, metaphor, or abstraction. This makes it possible to simultaneously expand the conceptual horizon and combine different areas of knowledge. The figure of Leonardo da Vinci appears in Valéry as a symbol of universal thinking, capable of integrating scientific and artistic knowledge into a single intellectual field through a system of figurative correspondences.  

In addition, using the example of da Vinci's work, the author reflects on the essence of the art of analysis as a special form of thinking that combines epistemological depth with aesthetic intuition, thereby revealing the potential for unity between the rational and creative principles in the process of cognition.