Friedrich Gentz, Edmund Burke, and Mary Wollstonecraft

"How does Friedrich Gentz distinguish between the American and French Revolutions? Do you see the influence of Edmund Burke in his thinking?


Friedrich Gentz distinguishes very particular differences in the American and French Revolutions. He saw the American Revolution as a defensive measure to uphold the rights that they had for over a century. He sees the French Revolution as an offensive measure which tried to pull down French society's fabric and reupholster it.

To answer the question about whether or not I see Edmund Burke's influence in the thinking of Gentz, ultimately yes. I believe that I do see this influence, or at least, I see extreme similarities between these two people's thinking patterns. Burke and Gentz both thought that society is built over time and not simply ripped apart and put together again in a mismatching puzzle piece fashion. Burke had a very conservative thinking process. As stated before, he didn't believe it correct to put together a completely new society in a heartbeat, so to speak. He saw long-standing institutions as being there for a reason. If one existed, for let's say, a thousand years, it's probably a good assumption that there's a reason for this institution being around.

There you have it. Friedrich Gentz, Edmund Burke, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution–distinguished, explained, and pieced together in blog/essay like proportions.



"What points is Mary Wollstonecraft making in the excerpts you read from the beginning of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman? What would she like to see changed in European society?"




In the excerpts I read I found that Mary Wollstonecraft had a deep yearning to see girls educated and given deserving rights of the human species. She likewise thought that women ought to be treated as rational individuals and not simply like alluring objects for a man's short-term fancy.

Allow me to include this excerpt by Mary Wollstonecraft in which she is speaking to the female gender:

  "My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone."

Simply stated, she didn't particularly enjoy women acting like they had no real intelligence.

I conclude then that Mary Wollstonecraft wished to see women educated, respected even of themselves, and being able to stand on their own two feet in a male-dominated European society.

Thanks for reading!    

The Values of Modernism and the Launch of World War I

"What are the values of Modernism that we see reflected across different fields, and how do they represent a departure from neoclassicism and the Enlightenment?"


There is an abundance of values that are reflected in Modernism. They are likely a perfectly painted picture of the opposite of neoclassicism and the Enlightenment in many ways. The values of Modernism departed from neoclassicism in a way that took an approach that might seem more disorderly than those values which were cherished in neoclassicism. The values in this newer age of thinking followed along a path of mixed emotions, lack of truly noticeable centers, nonsense, and a kind of unique beauty.

Paintings in the age of Modernism had a real feel for the artist's depiction of something rather than perhaps its true nature. Those in science were debating that perhaps this universe may be in some ways, unpredictable. Not to mention the music of this time which was rather out of typical order and very unique in its style. These characteristics were very contradictory of those in neoclassicism and the Enlightenment.

I hope that I have adequately demonstrated the departure from neoclassicism and the Enlightenment to the classification we call Modernism!



"What factors contributed to the coming of World War I?"




The factors which contributed the coming of the horrid war of World War I had much to do with the coming of particular wars, alliances, and the like. So many entered into alliances, fought their wars and such that eventually we have a mishmash of fighting which pulled basically the whole world into its clutches. Henceforth, we have the despicable time period which encompassed World War I.

During the time period which led up to World War I, we had alliances between Germany, Austria, and Russia and between Germany, Austria, and Italy! The last straw was the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand who was the successor to the Austrian throne. After horror and contempt for the plotting of particular individuals in the Serbian government, the Austrians decided on an ultimatum. And congratulations which were received by the Serbs by the Russian Pan-Slavists on the front of Serbian nationalism didn't help matters particularly. This ultimatum would have indeed ended independence for the Serbs. Can you guess what happened next? Despite interference from some of the main powers, the two parties along with their allies helped to send the world into a pit of despair that would be dug into the earth from the summer of 1914-1918. World War I had begun.

The Ptolemaic-Aristotelian View of the Universe, Leonhard Euler, and The Enlightenment

"What was the Ptolemaic-Aristotelian view of the universe, and how did Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton undermine it and institute an alternative?"




The Ptolemaic-Aristotelian view of the universe was that of a geocentric model. The Earth as the center of the universe. Orbits as circles and perfectly rounded planets, as well as stars, were also included in this peculiar idea. This, of course, was not an accurate viewpoint so it was eventually challenged, as so many theories are at one point in time or another.

Some that challenged this way of thinking were the great minds of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton.

Copernicus argued that the sun was the center of the universe. Therefore we see a heliocentric model. He likewise perceived that the Earth rotates on its axis. Common knowledge today, but revolutionary in his time.

Kepler undermined the idea of a Ptolemaic-Aristotelian view by proposing the theory of elliptical orbits instead of the standard idea that the orbits went around in circles. Again, this was revolutionary.

Galileo likewise contributed to this revolutionary process through his observation of moons orbiting Jupiter. This was proof that not everything revolved around the Earth as was previously thought.

I will lastly mention the monumental discoveries of Newton. Newton's ideas of gravity were extraordinary! Newton believed that gravity was the force that kept things moving and kept the air from escaping. He also predicted a transit of Venus. He was, in fact, the first astronomer to successfully do this.

The ideas throughout the centuries have been vast, but far fewer have been true. Copernicus and the others mentioned today knew that they must prove and disprove the world's theories. How few have realized this? There is little to be said for ignorance, but in knowledge there is power.



"Explain the significance of the person you read about for Lesson 48 in 100 words."


In lesson 48 I read about a mathematician/physicist, Leonhard Euler. Euler was known for his discoveries in many areas of study such as fluid dynamics, graph theory, music theory, mathematical function, etc. All of these areas are influential and greatly important, but I took a particular interest in his idea of mathematical function. The idea of numbers and mathematical problems as real life things was greatly fascinating to me.

Leonhard Euler was a mathematician/physicist. He was born in 1707, and he died in 1783. His historical significance was that of stamping a perfectly mathematical footprint on the field of science.



"Describe the main ideas we associate with the Enlightenment."



When you hear the word enlightenment, what is it that you think of? Maybe you think of people coming to great conclusions, philosophical thought, and reason. The idea of reason is one of the key characteristics that is often associated with the Enlightenment. Unfortunately, though, it was, at times, disregarded. For example, during this time people tended to be skeptical of using reason to come to theological points. Then again, they were skeptical of most anything during the course of the Enlightenment.

They weren't particularly fond of accepting age-old inherited ideas either. People of this time had the thought that they should rather look to science for their founding principles of most anything. The people of the Enlightenment did have an agreement for the most part with the idea of religious toleration, though. Yet, they tended to favor the stripping of "ritual" practices from religion.

These ideas laid the foundation of the Enlightenment. And in the Enlightenment, learners of history have found even more to diligently study. I hope that you have enjoyed this personal study of this age. Thanks for reading!

The Gods of the Copybook Headings

"What is one of Kipling's copybook headings that applies to recent public opinion?"


This work of Kipling's speaks of how people wish to stick with their childish fancies. This childishness then leads to death, as experience and truth finds them. The copybook heading in this, which I see very much applying to recent public opinion is, "The Wages of Sin is Death." People wish to do as their foolish religion, whether it be one created by another or a religion of their own mind, says is fine, despite history showing what happens when you live in a fantasy of your own creation, as to the definitions of right and wrong. Whether it be coming to the defense of gays, adultery, divorcing your husband/wife because "you will be happier", though it ends in total annihilation of trust and stability that their children and families have in them, etc., it all leads to this conclusion that brings unwanted consequences.


                             "The Wages of Sin is Death."

The Congress of Vienna, the Carlsbad Decrees, and the Purpose of Compulsory State Education

"What were the major principles guiding the diplomats at the Congress of Vienna?"

The Congress of Vienna was influenced by three major principles that revolved around keeping the peace after the Napoleonic wars.

The first principle is legitimacy focused on (of course) keeping or reinstating the power of the legitimate leader/king/royal family. This basically only works though, if you believe in the idea of the natural power of your leaders. And back then, that had been widely believed.

The second principle is the balance of power. This principle was kept to make sure that the powers were "balanced" as to avoid any one power becoming too great. If one power became too great, then there was too much of a chance for it (the one power) to create more war. And the whole point of the Congress of Vienna, after all, was providing and keeping the peace.

The third principle is compensation. The principle of compensation runs a great deal along the lines of the balance of power. Compensation dealt with the powers being compensated for their losses during the Napoleonic wars. If they lost land, then they would be compensated through the gain of more land. With this though comes the fact that in order to keep a balance of power, then you would have to likewise continue giving land to the other powers to balance things out.


These three guiding principles were used by the Congress of Vienna to keep the peace and reinstate stability for their world. War was undesirable, and where there is war, death quickly follows.


         "What were the Carlsbad Decrees?"

The Carlsbad Decrees were decrees which were put into effect by those whom were on the conservative side, in order to abolish the revolutionary uproar that was occurring at that time. The terribly unfortunate occurrence that truly brought this about was the killing of an individual who was more opposed to the revolutionary ideas by an unstable university fraternity member.

The Carlsbad Decrees put the universities on a leash, dissembled the fraternities, and the like. These decrees were used to demolish the revolutionary tendencies and protect the conservative way of thinking.


"According to Rothbard, did compulsory state education emerge because governments simply wanted their people to become more knowledgeable, or were there other motivations at work?"


Murray Rothbard's idea was not that governments simply wished for their people to be educated. It was that the governments wished for their people to be educated as to instill a nationalistic vigor in them. This technique would then lay the foundations for a people that would rely on their government and trust in its strength.

It's like a parent raising a child. If you raise a child to think a certain way and act a certain way, then that child is much more likely to stick to that way of thinking and choose a life path that runs along with it. Chances are that the child won't turn around, spit on the old principles, and run down the road in the opposite direction.

This technique was supported by both Martin Luther and John Calvin as a resourceful way to instill particular religious views in young people.

Murray Rothbard's view was that the government wished to instill certain ideals and principles in its people, so that the people would trust in the deeds and wishes of the government.


Thanks for reading!  

The French Materialists, Adam Smith, and the War of the Austrian Succession

"Explain the views of the French materialists."


The views of the French materialists revolved around the basic principle that everything was purely matter. Matter was basically their answer to life's questions. They tended to believe that due to the assumption that a person was simply matter/machine, then they should go about seeking sensual pleasure. One particular main view was that of an atheistic presumption. That there is no spiritual realm since everything is just matter. The views of the French materialists were, just as the name implies, focused on the material world.



"What does Adam Smith mean by the 'invisible hand'?"


Adam Smith is using the term of the "invisible hand" to describe the way that the actions of an individual to suit their needs actually ends up affecting society as well. This is the "invisible hand"; That there is an "invisible hand" guiding the market into it's various correct crevices and gaping holes. In effect, arranging the business world like a big 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.



"Discuss the causes and consequences of the War of the Austrian Succession."


The War of the Austrian Succession was caused by Maria Therese not being accepted as the ruler of the Hapsburg properties. This inconvenience was used by Prussia and France to challenge the Hapsburg ruling. The consequences that ensued include Austria losing Silesia to Prussia, and Louis XV of France losing much respect due to his decision to give back his fought for earnings to his defeated. This was done so that he would not look as if he was a conqueror. His people wanted what they fought for, and for the most part, they didn't get it.

Thanks for reading!





 

Robinson Crusoe (the Storms)

"How important for the narrative are the descriptions of the storms?" (book: Robinson Crusoe)



What is the importance of the descriptions of the storms in Robinson Crusoe? I believe that the stories in Robinson Crusoe don't as much focus on the descriptions of the storms but rather the consequences in Robinson Crusoe's life after the storms/through the storms. His ship sinking, being stranded on an island, etc. are instances and circumstances that I view as the meat of the story.

The storms although important, aren't necessarily the meat of it for me. They're rather the bone marrow, with his actions in response to his life's circumstances being the bones.