Philosophers of Reason

Outline:

A.  Spinoza and Leibnitz demand the Idea of God.  Scientific pantheism

B.  Pascal:  I am terrified by these infinite spaces.  A mere reed, but a thinking reed.

C.  Palmer & Colton:  Man was a dignified creature, one of great capacity in his own right, living in a world that was understandable and manageable by him, and in which he might install himself with quite adequate comfort.  These ideas contributed greatly to the secularizing of European society, pushing religion and churches to the sideline.

            Problems:

            1. Self-dignified

            2. Living in an understandable and manageable world

            3. Installing himself in this role as manager of the universe

            4.With quite adequate comfort

D.  Chronology of science and technology:

            1705    Edmund Haley, comet

            1713    Board of Longitude

            1714    D. G. Fahrenheit, thermometer

            1717    Lady Mary Worely Montagu, small pox

            1723    Anton van Leewenhoek, microscope

            1727    Newton died

            1729    Principia translated into English

            1742    Andres Celsius

            1767    Joseph Priestley, electricity

            1768    James Cook circumnavigates globe ( - 1771)

            1774    F. A. Mesmer

            1775    Joseph Priestly discovers H2SO4

            1777    Lavoisier’s oxygen

            1793    Eli Whitney’s cotton gin

            1794    Lavoisier executed

E.  Scientia as knowledge:  scire, to have an acquaintance with …Science is knowledge acquired through study, the mastery of a department of learning

1720’s definition:  a branch of study about a body of demonstrable truths, brought under general laws, using trusted methods, for the discovery of new truths. 

F.  Extreme views (ie., La Mettrie) and new views of history

            Christian:  BC – AD.  Christ comes and the end-time is now

            Renaissance:  Classic Age – Middle Ages – A Rebirth of the Classic Age

            Encyclopedists:  Classic Age - Dark Ages – Renaissance & Enlightened Age