Author: The author of this piece is Sir Francis Bacon. He was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, and author who lived from 1561-1626. He is credited with being an advocate of the scientific method through his very influential works.
Context: Sir Francis Bacon explains his struggles being a pioneer of a new way of thinking. He also explains that he continued to work for the future generations.
Summary: Sir Francis Bacon is explaining that all of the hard work he did throughout his life was to give the future generations more guidance in his field then he had. He wanted to pave the way for the thinkers of the future, even at the expense of the credibility of his name.
His main goal was to explain the failures of the artsy thinkers that
came before him. He is also explaining that men are thinking about
nature the wrong way and it is a miracle that nature does not give into
their incorrect assumptions. He then goes on to explain that nature
cannot be commanded, nature can only be obeyed. Human Knowledge and
human Power meet to become one and the ignorance it produces causes
operations to fail.
Key Quotation: "I have made a beginning of the work-a beginning, as I hope, not unimportant..." (37).
Monday, March 4, 2013
"The Advancement of Learning
Author Bio: Sir Francis Bacon was the "father" of modern science and invented the reform I learning and the scientific method.
Context: The speech was made during the 1600 and went on to talk his idea of the reforms of learning.
Summary: Wrongly wresting and transferring what had been said I the Holy Writ against the one who pry into sacred mysteries if the hidden things if nature. Others reflect on the things in nature that are unknown.
Key Quotations: "Since the one displays the will of God, the other his power."
Context: The speech was made during the 1600 and went on to talk his idea of the reforms of learning.
Summary: Wrongly wresting and transferring what had been said I the Holy Writ against the one who pry into sacred mysteries if the hidden things if nature. Others reflect on the things in nature that are unknown.
Key Quotations: "Since the one displays the will of God, the other his power."
Vindication of the Rights of Women -- Mary Wollstonecraft
Author Bio: Mary Wollstonecraft is known as one of the first, if not the first, true feminist. She lived in England during the last half of the 18th century and was a large advocate for equality among the sexes. She was among the more radical thinkers of the time like Thomas Paine. The French Revolution was also a major event that shaped her views.
Context: Wollstonecraft enters in the latter part of the Age of Reason and some of her ideas were piggybacked off of previous philosophers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Mary published this work to declare a war on inequality among the sexes. She believed that if there was no scientific evidence to back up that men had a higher capacity to reason than women, than men were not entitled to rule over women.
Summary: Wollstonecraft begins by lamenting on the lack of positions that women can fill outside of the home. A woman can become a teacher or a governess but she is still not treated as a highly educated being. She believes that if women had more opportunities to support themselves then they might not have to marry solely for financial reasons nor would they have to enter into prostitution to survive. She comments that if men would "snap our chains" then women would be better citizens in general. She believes that women may have different duties to fulfill than men but they are still human duties so they must be equal to men. Overall, Wollstonecraft believed that women could not progress and change their place in society unless they were granted equality.
Key Quotation: "There must be more equality established in society, or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly even when founded on a rock, if one half of mankind be chained to its bottom by fate, for they will be continually undermining it though ignorance or pride."
Context: Wollstonecraft enters in the latter part of the Age of Reason and some of her ideas were piggybacked off of previous philosophers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Mary published this work to declare a war on inequality among the sexes. She believed that if there was no scientific evidence to back up that men had a higher capacity to reason than women, than men were not entitled to rule over women.
Summary: Wollstonecraft begins by lamenting on the lack of positions that women can fill outside of the home. A woman can become a teacher or a governess but she is still not treated as a highly educated being. She believes that if women had more opportunities to support themselves then they might not have to marry solely for financial reasons nor would they have to enter into prostitution to survive. She comments that if men would "snap our chains" then women would be better citizens in general. She believes that women may have different duties to fulfill than men but they are still human duties so they must be equal to men. Overall, Wollstonecraft believed that women could not progress and change their place in society unless they were granted equality.
Key Quotation: "There must be more equality established in society, or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly even when founded on a rock, if one half of mankind be chained to its bottom by fate, for they will be continually undermining it though ignorance or pride."
"The Wealth of Nations" ~ Adam Smith
Author: Adam Smith was Scotsman from Kirkcaldy, born on June 5, 1723. The father of political economy, Smith was a true enlightened thinker and a well liked educator and philosopher, and he was a key figure in the Scottish Enlightenment. Smith was educated in moral philosophy at the University of Glasgow, being one of the first students to benefits from scholarship funds. Eventually, Smith's lectures became so popular that he was appointed a professor of moral philosophy at the University of Glasgow in 1751. Smith also spent a decent amount of time travelling Europe with the third duke of Buccleuch.
Context: Written over 10 years and published in 1776. "The Wealth of Nations" was written during the height of the Enlightenment in Europe, a time of philosophy and changing ideals on the continent.
Summary:
Human Nature and the Division of Labor: In this section, Smith asserts that men need to become more independent. He states that men should stop relying on each other for advantages and lead a more independent life. He also states that it is good to support local butchers, brewers and bakers, but that it should be more for their own regard than for their advantages.
The Invisible Hand: In this section Smith states that each man, by ensuring his own gain, is "led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention."
Unreasonableness of Restraints: Smith states that competition among nations in regards to economy and trade is not good for the nations. He feels that it would be better to rid nations of corrupt leaders and have all notions get along. He feels that this peace would make trading easier and bring increased prosperity to nations.
Key Quote:
"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from the regard of their own interest."
"This very competition, however, is advantageous to the great body of the people, who profit greatly besides by the good market in which the great expense of such a nation affords them in every other way ...."
Context: Written over 10 years and published in 1776. "The Wealth of Nations" was written during the height of the Enlightenment in Europe, a time of philosophy and changing ideals on the continent.
Summary:
Human Nature and the Division of Labor: In this section, Smith asserts that men need to become more independent. He states that men should stop relying on each other for advantages and lead a more independent life. He also states that it is good to support local butchers, brewers and bakers, but that it should be more for their own regard than for their advantages.
The Invisible Hand: In this section Smith states that each man, by ensuring his own gain, is "led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention."
Unreasonableness of Restraints: Smith states that competition among nations in regards to economy and trade is not good for the nations. He feels that it would be better to rid nations of corrupt leaders and have all notions get along. He feels that this peace would make trading easier and bring increased prosperity to nations.
Key Quote:
"It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from the regard of their own interest."
"This very competition, however, is advantageous to the great body of the people, who profit greatly besides by the good market in which the great expense of such a nation affords them in every other way ...."
On the Movement of the Earth- Copernicus
Author: Copernicus was a polish astronomer that constantly tried to prove heliocentric ideals by showing that the sun is the middle of the solar system not the earth. He is known as the father of modern astronomy.
Date/Context: 1543 is the date. This is smack dab in between the period of the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment. These periods focused on reason and rationality. They were both intellectual advancements that developed the structure of European society.
Summary: When i say my beliefs the world and Christians will believe me to be against the holy father and will boo me off the stage. but i had a desire to know the motion of the planets with no prior knowledge besides that of previous mathematicians. Even those mathematicians are unsure of the motions which makes it so they cannot be studied or observed. They also use differing principals to related the sun and the moon to the other planets. it is believed that the symmetry of the solar system cannot be changed. I wondered if the math was irrelevant to the truth and led myself to philosophical beliefs in which i had forgotten and looked back through time after time. But after my studies i came to the overall conclusion that will polarities and such that the world is centralized around the sun other then the moon which has been so long an incorrect belief.
Important Quotes:
- Philosophers that by no means could agree on any one certain theory.
- "become so bound together that nothing thereof could be moved from its place."
Date/Context: 1543 is the date. This is smack dab in between the period of the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment. These periods focused on reason and rationality. They were both intellectual advancements that developed the structure of European society.
Summary: When i say my beliefs the world and Christians will believe me to be against the holy father and will boo me off the stage. but i had a desire to know the motion of the planets with no prior knowledge besides that of previous mathematicians. Even those mathematicians are unsure of the motions which makes it so they cannot be studied or observed. They also use differing principals to related the sun and the moon to the other planets. it is believed that the symmetry of the solar system cannot be changed. I wondered if the math was irrelevant to the truth and led myself to philosophical beliefs in which i had forgotten and looked back through time after time. But after my studies i came to the overall conclusion that will polarities and such that the world is centralized around the sun other then the moon which has been so long an incorrect belief.
Important Quotes:
- Philosophers that by no means could agree on any one certain theory.
- "become so bound together that nothing thereof could be moved from its place."
Sunday, March 3, 2013
"I Think, Therefore I Am"
Author: Rene
Descartes (1596-1650). He was born in France, but lived out the end of his life
in Holland. Although Descartes is most noted for his mathematical application
to philosophy, he also had a Jesuit education, graduated with a law degree from
Poitiers, and spent some time as a soldier. He was also a mathematical genius, developed
the Cartesian coordinate system and analytic geometry, which were crucial to the
development Calculus. Arguably, his most notable achievements were in rational
philosophy. He is dubbed as “the Father of Modern Philosophy.”
Context: It was
on one of his military tours in a German town, where Descartes claims he
“uncovered” the mathematical rationale of the human mind as granted by Almighty
God. He developed the process of reasoning and application; analyzing specific
information based on general information. He subsequently published his
masterpiece, Discourse on the Method of
Rightly Conducting the Reason. “I think, therefore I am” is an excerpt
taken from this work.
Summary: “I
think, therefore I am” is a discourse on the mind, the rational world, and the
nature of thought. Descartes first highlights four principles key to rationale
thought. The first rule; never innocently accept anything as truth. The second
principle; break down observation into the smallest components possible. The
third rule; begin reason with the most easily comprehensible components. The
last principle; to employ this process in all intellectual encounters.
Descartes then contemplates his own existence. He determines that since he can
think, he must exist, “I think, therefore I am.” However, in reflection to his
own being, Descartes analyzes himself to be slightly imperfect. He concludes
that his existence, regardless of its imperfections, must be granted by a
higher power. Thus, Descartes rationally proves the existence of God. He states
that Reason and question are the foremost principles that should govern all
thought. Descartes concludes with his decision that all truth must stem from
God.
Quote: “I who
thought, must of necessity [exist]; and remarking that this truth, I think,
therefore I am, was so firm… that I could unhesitatingly accept it as the first
principle of the philosophy I was seeking….”
Saturday, March 2, 2013
The Social Contract- Rousseau
Author Bio: Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer during the Scientific Revolution. His philosophies influenced the American and French Revolutions. His main philosophies were that of humans being naturally good, and society corrupting them and of a government gaining sovereignty by the consent of the people.
Date/Context: From 1762, in the middle of the Age of Reason when new ideas were emerging concerning science and government. The Social Contract is a novel exploring the best way to set up a political community. Rousseau was a revolutionary thinker, like Diderot and Montesquieu, therefore he can be relied upon to accurately investigate the new ideas and issues of the time.
Summary: Rousseau outlines the idea that the Social Contract is the only way to solve the problem of finding a "form of association which will defend and protect with the whole aggregate force the person and the property of each individual" (76). Each individual gives up some liberty willingly when the Social Contract is created, but that that is just part of the process in order to gain a hopefully effective system. Each person "gives himself to ALL, but not to any INDIVIDUAL" and can at any point return to the original state of nature. The body politic can not bind itself to anything or anyone other than the whole, and when one part is attacked, the whole is attacked. In conclusion, all individuals come together to form a sovereign, and create a government set to work for the good of all.
Key Quotation: "We each of us place, in common, his person, and all his power, under the supreme direction of the general will; and we receive into the body each member as an indivisible part of the whole" (78).
Date/Context: From 1762, in the middle of the Age of Reason when new ideas were emerging concerning science and government. The Social Contract is a novel exploring the best way to set up a political community. Rousseau was a revolutionary thinker, like Diderot and Montesquieu, therefore he can be relied upon to accurately investigate the new ideas and issues of the time.
Summary: Rousseau outlines the idea that the Social Contract is the only way to solve the problem of finding a "form of association which will defend and protect with the whole aggregate force the person and the property of each individual" (76). Each individual gives up some liberty willingly when the Social Contract is created, but that that is just part of the process in order to gain a hopefully effective system. Each person "gives himself to ALL, but not to any INDIVIDUAL" and can at any point return to the original state of nature. The body politic can not bind itself to anything or anyone other than the whole, and when one part is attacked, the whole is attacked. In conclusion, all individuals come together to form a sovereign, and create a government set to work for the good of all.
Key Quotation: "We each of us place, in common, his person, and all his power, under the supreme direction of the general will; and we receive into the body each member as an indivisible part of the whole" (78).
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