Arts and Humanities in Rosseau's Second Discourse And Other Pieces Of Work
Arts and Humanities in Rousseau's Second Discourse and other Pieces of Work
In the second discourse, Rousseau changes progress and decries imprisoning in men, in a fabricated logic of civilization. Rousseau uses striking language, "the sciences, letters and arts….." However, he believes that the new arts and sciences portray the appearance but not the reality of virtue, which he believes is core to civilization. In addition, he asserts that humanity in the state of nature was ethical and good because, in their primitive simplicity, human beings could not deceive each other (Gourevitch 23-59). However, the sciences undermine morality and threaten the well-being of human beings. Therefore, civilization based on these sciences is a mode of concealing the vices of humanity. To make strong his point, Rousseau gives an example of the Spartans whom he describes as virtuous. He condemns the Athenians who produced monuments as a concept of civilization, but through corruption.
Rousseau describes Socrates as a virtuous and fair man who despised the arts and stylish "sciences" but the Athenians condemned him. This second discourse strives to show that not only did science and art come from vices, but its influence will completely compromise humanity. In an example, he offered, Rousseau suggests that each science has some trace of vices, and states that astronomy originates from superstition and geometry of greed. In addition, Rousseau suggests that learning has negative impacts on humanity. He regards learning as a waste of time, energy because nothing tangible comes out of learning. Learning compromises faith and patriotism, which he says, gives meaning to human life (Moran 37-58). Rousseau describes learning as a factor that weakens the courage of men and criticizes the models of education suggesting that the youth learn a foreign language and ignore defining words in their own that give life significance, equity, temperance and humanity.
Rousseau discourages modernization. He feels that the mode of civilization experienced today has no good. The sciences and art constitute negative impacts on humanity and suggests that learning, particularly book learning produces nothing tangible; therefore, the mode of learning needs replacement with physical learning because physical learning produces results. In addition, physical learning produces physical and mental fitness. In this second discourse, Rousseau symbolically grieves the invention of the printing press which will spread ideas of the enlightenment so rapidly into hands of who will feel the implications of the ideas. In relation to the first discourse, Rousseau suggests that the primitive nature of human beings made them ignorant to bliss; however, the ignorance protected human beings from the dangers their own minds could lead them (Moran 37-58).
The Age of Wonder
The Age of Wonder is a series of scientific stories, which connect to explore a large historical narrative. This is an account of the second scientific revolution that swept through Britain at the end of the 18th century resulting to a new vision called Romantic science. This romanticism is cultural dynamism regarded as extremely hostile to science; however, it is best of subjectivity eternally opposed to that scientific goal. The science and romanticism have not always been the case, but the terms are mutually inclusive. The concept of wonder acts as a connection that unites the two such that there is romantic science, in the same idea there is romantic poetry and often for the same mutual reasons (Richard 15).
A review of the 17th century shows major inventions in science associated with names such as Newton, Hooke, Locke and Descartes, and the almost coincident foundations of the Royal Society in London, and the Academie des Sciences found in Paris. The second science revolution was very different because the major inventions were sudden in the fields of astronomy and chemistry. This second revolution came as a movement that developed out of the 18th century Enlightenment rationalism, but greatly influenced its change and brought a new creative intensity and excitement in scientific innovations. The movement had a general idea of extreme, careless and personal commitments to innovation (Richard 26-30).
The second science revolution was a movement aiming at change or transition. The movement flourished for some time, probably two generations, but generated un-ending negative consequences raising hopes and questions that exist today. In relation to Rousseau's suggestions of science, the consequences he suggested came to pass. Rousseau felt that science would only bring rise to adverse effects to human beings. Romantic science dates back to Captain Cook's first round of the world expedition...
etsy.com/listing/97212322/african-primitive-ethnic-Jewelry) is an African post-colonial piece of jewelry that is both post-colonial and also possesses gender and class implications. One can see this piece of jewelry as being either Mother-Earth, Mother-Universe or Female Guardian Orisha. It has definite gender -- based connotations with a maternal warmth and sympathy emanating form the image. At the same time is authentic primitive African art and is also class-based since its origins are tribal and
Realist, Liberal, Critical Theorist Rousseau: Realist, Liberal, Critical Theorist? What is Rousseau's real Philosophical identity? There are several questions and ideas to be addressed and analyzed in this paper. One: Is Jean-Jacques Rousseau a realist -- can it be said from the assigned essay, without equivocation that his views follow those of classic realism? (Realism: the doctrine that puts forth the idea that universals only exist outside one's mind; the insistence that all
Ross (1988) notes the development of Romanticism in the late eighteenth century and indicates that it was essentially a masculine phenomenon: Romantic poetizing is not just what women cannot do because they are not expected to; it is also what some men do in order to reconfirm their capacity to influence the world in ways socio-historically determined as masculine. The categories of gender, both in their lives and in their
In "Piaf," Pam Gems provides a view into the life of the great French singer and arguably the greatest singer of her generation -- Edith Piaf. (Fildier and Primack, 1981), the slices that the playwright provides, more than adequately trace her life. Edith was born a waif on the streets of Paris (literally under a lamp-post). Abandoned by her parents -- a drunken street singer for a mother and a
This work provided an intensive discussion historical forces that were to lead to modern humanism but also succeeds in placing these aspects into the context of the larger social, historical and political milieu. . Online sources and databases proved to be a valid and often insightful recourse area for this topic. Of particular note is a concise and well-written article by Stephen Weldon entitled Secular Humanism in the United States.
Slave Narrative and Black Autobiography - Richard Wright's "Black Boy" and James Weldon Johnson's Autobiography The slave narrative maintains a unique station in modern literature. Unlike any other body of literature, it provides us with a first-hand account of institutional racially-motivated human bondage in an ostensibly democratic society. As a reflection on the author, these narratives were the first expression of humanity by a group of people in a society where
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now