The Search for Enlightenment
Nature, I think we can deduce, refers not only to animals, plants, and mountains, but rather to the universe as a whole--the entirety of the physical universe ranging from human nature to quantum nature while also including, plants, animals, and mountains as part of this greater whole. It has been the search for knowledge and truths of the wonders and mysteries of "nature," or rather the universe (in other words science) that has, over the past few years been the underlying motivation in my life. Not only do I find the search for knowledge exciting and intellectually stimulating, but I have found that this motivation gives meaning or rather a direction to my life. I don't wish to imply that science and religion give my life, nor events that occur during my life, meaning. I have always found that life is inherently meaningful without aid from science, religion, or purpose.
But why does the search for knowledge hold such importance for me in providing motivation and, hence, meaning/direction? Is it nature or nurture? Is it due to my personality type (INTP--Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceptive [Myers Briggs Type Indicator) and my innate drive for competence or is it culture and socialization? Is it possible that my motivation and direction is not based on rational grounds but rather on a biological instinct that tends to create a generalized desire for competency? My drive for competency which, whether it has been unconscious or conscious at times and stimulated by both biology and environment, seems to motivate and direct my search for knowledge. I have realized that what has attracted me to science and the search for knowledge, is not that "science tries to explain what life is in order t...
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... in an uncomplicated fashion so as not to scare away the masses. Thus, I hope that when I am older that I will be able to disregard my feelings of anger and frustration and move toward becoming a beacon of light for science in a world of "witchcraft that has taken hold of our culture and society. I have heard the call. I feel that I can best answer this call by searching for and obtaining a background in the social, natural, and physical sciences. I aspire to remove the ignorance of science and self in order to become an advocate for the "enlightenment" of scientific literacy.
References
Wilson, Edward O. 1998. Consilience, The Unity Of Knowledge.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Dostoyevsky, Fydor. [1877] 1980. The Dream of a Ridiculous Man.
New York: Signet Classic part of Penguin Books USA Inc.
Orwell, George. 1946. Politics and the English Language.
Mini-Q Essay A time period known as The Age of Reason or The Enlightenment was when philosophy, politics, science and social communications changed drastically. It helped shape the ideas of capitalism and democracy, which is the world we live in today. People joined together to discuss areas of high intellect and creative thoughts. The Enlightenment was a time period in which people discussed new ideas, and educated people, known as philosophers, all had a central idea of freedom of choice and the natural right of individuals. These philosophers include John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft.
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The church’s robust grip on religious expression shattered as medieval society transitioned into a period known as the Reformation. Characterized by the rejection of common ideology, the Reformation sparked religious curiosity. Reformers such as John Calvin and Martin Luther offered interpretations of the Bible in direct opposition to the Catholic Church’s teachings, forcing Europeans to examine and formulate their own beliefs. This style of thinking was foreign to European society because up to this point in history Europeans were passive absorbers of Catholic Church ideology. Hence, it was natural that an era considered the Age of Enlightenment followed the period of rejection and questioning known as the Reformation. The Age of Enlightenment did not merely confine itself to religious expression, but spread throughout natural and social science. Thus, the Age of Enlightenment marked the beginning of academic and religious philosophy and allowed great minds to think free from restriction and condemnation of established institution. As the perception of natural
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The Enlightenment is a unique time in European history characterized by revolutions in science, philosophy, society, and politics. These revolutions put Europe in a transition from the medieval world-view to the modern western world. The traditional hierarchical political and social orders from the French monarchy and Catholic Church were destroyed and replaced by a political and social order from the Enlightenment ideals of freedom and equality(Bristow, 1). Many historians, such as Henry Steele Commager, Peter Gay, have studied the Enlightenment over the years and created their own views and opinions.
Kant’s definition of Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred nonage (immaturity). Immaturity is the inability to use one's own understanding without the external guidance. This immaturity is self-incurred by an individual and it is not because of lack of understanding, but rather lack of resolution and courage to use it without the guidance of another. So the motto of enlightenment is Sapere aude (Latin word which means ‘dare to know’ or ‘dare to be wise’) or in other words it is to have courage to use your own understanding. Reasons for the large proportion of people to be immature are laziness and cowardice. And it is convenient to immature as it is an easier option available. Suppose I have a book which understands me, a spiritual adviser to have a conscience for me, a physician to judge my diet for me and so on then I don’t need to make any efforts at all and I need not think as long as I can pay, others will take up my tiresome job and this is an easier choice than to do all the work by myself. Naturally lot of people prefer easier things instead of taking a chal...
I first learned how to translate my curiosity into hard work as a chemistry student at Cornell, and since then I have found great inspiration in new learning environments. As a medical student, transitioning from lectures to my clinical years, I extended the curiosity) developed in the classroom to patient care. During my rotations, I constantly questioned why certain steps were chosen to manage patients. I learned to refer to journals and to critically assess articles' levels of evidence, which facilitated decisions in patient care. Even as a medical student, I could make a difference by presenting articles to the team, and I dedicated myself to doing
Advancement from Enlightenment As the 1900's rolled around, many changes were to come. New leaders, government styles, and new ideas were just the start. The main focus of the Enlightenment era was based on reason, rationalism, and the idea of "Inevitable Progress. " Enlightenment was pushed forward by great people such as Kant, Bulgaria, Thomas Jefferson, Isaac Newton, Francois-Marie Ardouet de Voltaire, Thomas Hobbes, to name a few.
In his essay writing “What is Enlightenment?” Immanuel Kant defines enlightenment as “man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity” (Kant, 1). In order for us to completely understand this definition, we must first understand what Kant meant by “Immaturity”. In the writing Kant defines immaturity as “the inability to use one’s understanding without the guidance from another”(Kant, 1). Furthermore, Kant believes that this immaturity is self-imposed, and that it is the individual’s fault for lacking the courage and resolve to think for themselves, but instead pay others to think and understand for them. I substantially agree with this idea, however, his remarks on immaturity in relation to the government, the way people should live, and religion is quite impetuous and irrational. Likewise, I do agree that people should be able to live freely, and think for themselves, however I do not agree that they have to live without rules, regulations or a government. In his essay Kant says “. If I have a book to serve as my understanding, a pastor to serve as my conscience, a physician to determine my diet for me, and so on, I need not exert myself at all. I need not think, if only I can pay: others will readily undertake the irksome work for me.”(Kant, 1). Kant believes that these guardians restrain our minds and have us lack the capabilities to think for ourselves. However, I believe that these same guardians are those entities that help nurture our mind and enable us to think for ourselves. How could books, the source of wisdom, knowledge, and new things be bad for us? There is nothing wrong with gaining new knowledge.
A review in 2004 did not show a clear relation between video game violence and real life violence. The study found that for every 1% increase in violent video game sales there was a .03% decrease in real life violence. (Fournis,
The power of nature is all around us and can be found almost anywhere. One is able to study nature through experiencing it firsthand, looking at a picture, watching a movie, or even reading a familiar children’s story. I believe that by learning more about nature we can grow closer to God. Emerson states, “Nature is so pervaded in human life, that there is something of humanity in all, and in every particular” (Emerson 508). Like Emerson, I believe that humanity and nature were created by God and we can learn more about the Spirit of God by studying nature. I also see that nature has the power to influence our emotions and actions. I see evidence of this through various landscapes such as the desert, the beach, the mountains and the jungle. I thought about the vastness of the desert during a recent trip to the desert with my class. I think about nature and my love for it when I am scanning through my photo album and see pictures that capture me enjoying the mountains of Utah. When I watched the movie The Beach I was struck out how nature, specifically the beautiful beaches of Thailand, influenced the actions of every character in the movie. Of course it is hard to read a legendary story such as “Jungle Book” and not see what a powerful effect nature and its’ animals can have over humans.
As for science, I have always had a passion for it, always been interested in finding solutions to problems. Whether that be STEM related, people related or otherwise. You give me a problem, most of the time ill attempt to d...