In Nature Emerson says, “ Neither does the wisest man extort her secret, and loses his curiosity by finding out all her perfection.” (Literature Texas Treasure 197) Emerson refers nature as to her in this quote and this proves that he is a Transcendentalist by stating that we do not understand life, if we do not understand nature. Thoreau is a Transcendentalist because he believes that emotional and spiritual rebirth was an important tool of nature's glory. In his journal Thoreau writes, “So we saunter toward the Holy Land, till one day the sun shall shine more brightly than ever he has done, shall perchance shine into our minds and hearts.”
Victor admits his deep desire for ‘immortally and power’ through ‘penetrating the secrets of nature’, which is manifested in his technological innovation of the creature, highlighting the extreme yet realistic potential for technology to create human life. Ambition was too potent as his thirst for knowledge transcended obsession and drove Victor into isolation and near self-destruction,
The Enlightenment can be defined as the period of time when reason and science became the driving forces of life. Men began to rationalize that the contribution of inventions and other things of use to society was what would please God and was also the best way to live. Men realized that they could harness nature. Religion also evolved, and Deism, the belief that the universe is run by an intelligent and benevolent God, came into play. Americans yearned to break free from the narrow-mindedness of the Provincial era, and embraced this period of time to the fullest extent.
The authors Bradley John Monsma and William L. Fox share many intensions when it comes to human’s expression of nature. In each of their essays there is a main concept of human expansion into nature to seek a new perspective to gain appreciation for the beauty of our surroundings, and to comprehend whether we have a responsibility to step in, but both Monsma and Fox use different tools to provide the reader with this idea. While Monsma uses imagination to get a new perspective on nature Fox goes beyond that and uses a true physical connection with nature. In each essay gaining a new perspective on our surroundings helps us build a better relationship with the environment and each author portrays that using the same idea, but have a different way of proving their point. While in my own experience I found it extremely difficult to just use my imagination to try and find a new perspective on things.
I found this to be a great parallel to his overall goal of seeking to transform feudal Japan. Fukuzawa was a very intelligent mad, but in order for his intelligence to blossom it took dedication and strong-will. Fukuzawa understood that bringing Western ideas to Japan was going to be hard; but knew Japan would be so much better off if the country
These two men believe that nature is what forces us not to depend on others ideas but to develop our own. (Baker 115) Nature is ever changing so we must keep searching for explanations about human life. They feel that nature is the key to knowing all. Henry David Thoreau tests Ralph Waldo Emerson’s ideas about nature by living at Walden Pond. (Harding 205) Where he discovers that simplicity in physical aspects brings deepness to our mind.
As a result, Jefferson, Montesquieu, Locke, and other members of the founding generation were deeply influenced by this 18th-century European intellectual movement. These philosophers were exposed to some of the leading thinkers of the Enlightenment who believed rational thought and useful knowledge guaranteed an optimistic outlook of hope and promise of a better future. Not only that, but the many culminating revolutions that revolved - the Scientific Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, etc. - as well as a great environmental awareness were many factors as a result of the Enlightenment. Jefferson drew upon his education in law and Enlightenment philosophy in order to compose the Declaration of Independence, a treatise that focused on liberty and slavery.
New schools sprang up to liberate the mind and the great thinkers of this time began to question what does it mean to be human, “How are we related to God?” and “How do we achieve happiness?” This school of thought became known as Humanism. Leonardo’s fame as an artist is legendary, however, his studies in science and nature of all forms was pure genius (Matthews, DeWitt Platt, & Noble, 2011, p. 341). Leonardo was a man of reason and lived
Assess Kant's ethics of duty and freedom as a response to all previous ethical theories. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), one of the most influential philosophers in the history of Western philosophy, has been celebrated for his great contributions to metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics. Kant especially celebrates the originality and uniqueness of his ethical theory through his general criticism of previous ethical theories and has always been regarded as a profound impact on more or less all the philosophical movements that went behind him. Significantly, Kant’s philosophy is anchored in his conviction that the value of man is inbuilt in his ability to reason and his criticisms of utilitarianism have become well-known in the history of philosophy. An analysis of Kant’s ethics of duty and freedom as a response to all previous ethical theories proves the characteristics of the Kantian ethics and the most significant contrast to utilitarianism, according to Kant, is the ethics of duty in which normative judgments are made on the basis of the character of the action rather than its consequences.
The instrumental view related to pragmatism holds that problem solving utilizes man’s use of truth as an instrument, where truth varies with the given problem and is not defined in a stagnant state. Thus, the learning process adapts to trends and changes, especially as scientific discoveries are made and new truths are defined or modified, and requires individual interaction with the material to achieve an optimal understanding of the theory or subject. Dewey’s pragmatic educational theory was heavily influenced by his views on democracy, which were likewise evolutionary in nature. His philosophy that relative desire drives human nature, and that nothing is constant, led him to contribute to and sign the Humanist Manifesto, which waged that humans design their own outcomes. Dewey’s faith in evolution over absolute religion determined his position on pragmatism and instrumentalism, as reinforced by his position that democracy, determined by the people in an evolving state, is the founding strength in education.