Comments on: Living Up to the Renaissance Ideal http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html NIGHTTIME IS FOR DREAMING. DAYLIGHT IS FOR ACTION. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 13:17:28 +0000 By: Mrina http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-1803 Mrina Tue, 16 May 2006 02:56:02 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-1803 I agree with what you wrote. I also made a list of categories from which I strive to know at least a little of each. My list seems more expansive than your own but the idea is the same and I think you've got the important stuff right on. Relieved to know other people feel the same. History is an absolute must. Is love? Or is that something totally out of our hands? I wonder if Leonardo da Vinci felt love? extremophile_me@hotmail.com I agree with what you wrote. I also made a list of categories from which I strive to know at least a little of each. My list seems more expansive than your own but the idea is the same and I think you've got the important stuff right on. Relieved to know other people feel the same.

History is an absolute must. Is love? Or is that something totally out of our hands? I wonder if Leonardo da Vinci felt love?

extremophile_me@hotmail.com

]]> By: andrea http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-147 andrea Wed, 22 Feb 2006 19:15:37 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-147 ah, but doesn't even wanting to limit gov't's effect on people mean manipulating people in some way? If anything, to make them more responsible for themselves so they don't want government interference? :) And I didn'tmean that that anyone had to be "good" or a master at creating, just willing. I have my strengths and my weaknesses in my abilities to create. I'm pretty good at sewing, cooking and brewing mead. I really really am awful at writing, singing, and a multitude of other things. I think it's the willingness to try that it the most important part. Many people are the classic couch potato and want everything done for them. ah, but doesn't even wanting to limit gov't's effect on people mean manipulating people in some way? If anything, to make them more responsible for themselves so they don't want government interference? :)

And I didn'tmean that that anyone had to be "good" or a master at creating, just willing. I have my strengths and my weaknesses in my abilities to create. I'm pretty good at sewing, cooking and brewing mead. I really really am awful at writing, singing, and a multitude of other things. I think it's the willingness to try that it the most important part. Many people are the classic couch potato and want everything done for them.

]]> By: BlackWizardMagus http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-143 BlackWizardMagus Wed, 22 Feb 2006 02:15:18 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-143 andrea; well, political science does not always stem from making others do as you wish. Some people, yes, use politics for that, but others, such as myself, want to limit the ability of the government to affect people. I don't think creating is a good requirement, even in our hopes. To make requires alot of inborn abilities. I can't make much of anything. I have no...vision for things, and my hands are sloppy, to be honest. Over the years, I have dedicated time to learning to play the viola, to do woodworking, to mechanical jobs, etc. It takes certain abilities to this, and some of them I do not have, and there are alot of people like this. andrea; well, political science does not always stem from making others do as you wish. Some people, yes, use politics for that, but others, such as myself, want to limit the ability of the government to affect people.

I don't think creating is a good requirement, even in our hopes. To make requires alot of inborn abilities. I can't make much of anything. I have no...vision for things, and my hands are sloppy, to be honest. Over the years, I have dedicated time to learning to play the viola, to do woodworking, to mechanical jobs, etc. It takes certain abilities to this, and some of them I do not have, and there are alot of people like this.

]]> By: Quath http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-138 Quath Tue, 21 Feb 2006 21:43:16 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-138 I like this. I think we get this by better high school education or by getting more people to go to college. I would like to see some history taught where it repeats itself. It is one thing to claim it, it is another to demonstrate it. Maybe the Iraq War would not have happened if the Bush administration had more knowledge of history. I like this. I think we get this by better high school education or by getting more people to go to college.

I would like to see some history taught where it repeats itself. It is one thing to claim it, it is another to demonstrate it. Maybe the Iraq War would not have happened if the Bush administration had more knowledge of history.

]]> By: andrea http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-136 andrea Tue, 21 Feb 2006 20:32:32 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-136 bravo for putting in the ability to create something. I think that's incredibly important. There are people who can spout facts and figures but honest creation, that's what seperates the geniuses from the very intelligent. A comic book I read names people with that quality "sparks". IMO, political science is just an outgrowth of psychology. Once you understand people, you can make them do pretty much what you wish. bravo for putting in the ability to create something. I think that's incredibly important. There are people who can spout facts and figures but honest creation, that's what seperates the geniuses from the very intelligent. A comic book I read names people with that quality "sparks".

IMO, political science is just an outgrowth of psychology. Once you understand people, you can make them do pretty much what you wish.

]]> By: BlackWizardMagus http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-130 BlackWizardMagus Mon, 20 Feb 2006 18:17:23 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-130 I recall reading that cosmology is literally not science, but considered philosphy, in one of my books. I wish I knew where to check that. Anyway, pretty good post. I have to say that, in my opinion, the social sciences as a whole need to be stressed. I fully respect hard science, math, philosophy, etc, but one of the most important things for our everyday lives and for society as a whole is for people to understand history, sociology, psychology, and especially political science, so they can understand people and vote in such a way as to guarantee individual rights. It would be best if the concept of the unbendable religious right were to fade, but since that's unlikely, the next best thing would be to ensure that most people, of all faiths, know enough to seperate religion and state and vastly overrule the right. I recall reading that cosmology is literally not science, but considered philosphy, in one of my books. I wish I knew where to check that. Anyway, pretty good post. I have to say that, in my opinion, the social sciences as a whole need to be stressed. I fully respect hard science, math, philosophy, etc, but one of the most important things for our everyday lives and for society as a whole is for people to understand history, sociology, psychology, and especially political science, so they can understand people and vote in such a way as to guarantee individual rights. It would be best if the concept of the unbendable religious right were to fade, but since that's unlikely, the next best thing would be to ensure that most people, of all faiths, know enough to seperate religion and state and vastly overrule the right.

]]> By: Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-127 Ebonmuse Sun, 19 Feb 2006 16:22:35 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-127 Hah, my readers keep me honest! You're both absolutely right: history and psychology are important areas of inquiry in their own right, and I do agree that everyone should have some exposure to them. In fact, I would say that they're both aspects of a greater whole: understanding how humans' minds work and why they make the decisions they do, which is definitely a vital area for everyone to be acquainted with. You can't choose wisely if you don't know how we think, what sort of errors we're prone to make, and what the result was when people made similar choices in the past. Thank you to both of you for bringing this to my attention - it was thoughtless of me to overlook them in the first place. Hah, my readers keep me honest!

You're both absolutely right: history and psychology are important areas of inquiry in their own right, and I do agree that everyone should have some exposure to them. In fact, I would say that they're both aspects of a greater whole: understanding how humans' minds work and why they make the decisions they do, which is definitely a vital area for everyone to be acquainted with. You can't choose wisely if you don't know how we think, what sort of errors we're prone to make, and what the result was when people made similar choices in the past. Thank you to both of you for bringing this to my attention - it was thoughtless of me to overlook them in the first place.

]]> By: Psychobunny http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-125 Psychobunny Sun, 19 Feb 2006 02:16:46 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-125 Your post was great (as usual!), but I would add one more thing: a working knowledge of behavior analysis in psychology. Being able to see both the contingencies and schedules under which an organism behaves and to see the modification of environmental conditions that likely produced the current behaviors in question gives a person the ability to interpret and modify skillfully the behavior of others and thereby a better picture of how to interact peacefully and work for change when it is necessary. Then again, as a specialist-to-be, my views could be biased. ;) Your post was great (as usual!), but I would add one more thing: a working knowledge of behavior analysis in psychology. Being able to see both the contingencies and schedules under which an organism behaves and to see the modification of environmental conditions that likely produced the current behaviors in question gives a person the ability to interpret and modify skillfully the behavior of others and thereby a better picture of how to interact peacefully and work for change when it is necessary.

Then again, as a specialist-to-be, my views could be biased. ;)

]]> By: tobe38 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-124 tobe38 Sun, 19 Feb 2006 02:04:22 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2006/02/living-up-to-the-renaissance-ideal.html#comment-124 I agree with all of this, except maybe the omission of history (as a subject in itself as opposed to the writings of historical figures). History, like science and philosophy is a quest for truth. I believe that it is very much a subject which promotes and rewards critical thinking skills, particularly in the analysis of historical sources. Arguments need to be evaluated for bias, flaws in reasoning and their perspective, empathy etc. It is also a subject that, like science, has an evil twin - pseudo-history, which has lead to obscenities like Holocaust denial and even, I think it could be argued, certain conspiracy theories like Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. Finally and perhaps most importantly, I believe it is a subject that demands intellectual honesty and integrity in order to be done properly. In investigating the past, it is often difficult not to have private beliefs about one would perhaps like to find. A good historian will always report what he finds to be true, not what he wants to be true. I'm thoroughly enjoying the site, Adam, and relish each new entry I find. Keep up the good work. Tobe. I agree with all of this, except maybe the omission of history (as a subject in itself as opposed to the writings of historical figures). History, like science and philosophy is a quest for truth. I believe that it is very much a subject which promotes and rewards critical thinking skills, particularly in the analysis of historical sources. Arguments need to be evaluated for bias, flaws in reasoning and their perspective, empathy etc. It is also a subject that, like science, has an evil twin - pseudo-history, which has lead to obscenities like Holocaust denial and even, I think it could be argued, certain conspiracy theories like Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. Finally and perhaps most importantly, I believe it is a subject that demands intellectual honesty and integrity in order to be done properly. In investigating the past, it is often difficult not to have private beliefs about one would perhaps like to find. A good historian will always report what he finds to be true, not what he wants to be true.

I'm thoroughly enjoying the site, Adam, and relish each new entry I find. Keep up the good work.

Tobe.

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