Joseph Banks And The English Enlightenment: Useful Knowledge And Polite Culture

1126 Words3 Pages

Halima Bath
Exploring Nature
Some people are lucky enough to travel the world while pursuing their dreams; Joseph Banks was one of them. Banks is most commonly known as a successful botanist. As a well-known botanist, entrepreneur, and president of the Royal Society, his life had been highly publicized. He was born and raised in a wealthy family in London. Ever since he was a child, Banks had been fascinated with plants and all things nature. As he grew older, his fascination branched out in every aspect of botany and nature. In order to increase his knowledge, he had the opportunity to travel to Australia, South America, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
For example, in "Joseph Banks and the English Enlightenment: Useful Knowledge and Polite Culture" by John Gascoigne, the author begins his book by discussing Banks' public life. Gascoigne starts by comparing Francis Bacon and Joseph Banks. He believes that …show more content…

According to Banks, the Tahitian people seemed to be one with nature and everything else around them. After remaining in Tahiti for a while, Banks seemed to have adjusted to the native's ways and traditions. He would often join them in their rituals and dances. When Banks returned home in Europe, he seemed to prefer plants to people. For example, before he left for Tahiti, he appeared to be in a relationship with Harriet Blosset who waited for him for three years. Upon his arrival, Banks seemed to say that he no longer wanted to be in a relationship and later spent nearly all of his time studying plants. This event lead to the conclusion that he would rather spend his life with plants instead of another

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