So it seems I managed to miss a post, so this one is going to have double the content.First off: the scholastics. They were the result of rationalism vs. mysticism in the Christian faith. They got a hold of some Aristotle writings and had their noses in the books ever since. Mostly they studied systems of logic in language based on Latin. They didn't really apply their new found knowledge to anything, they just studied the theories and observations.
TL;DR version: Most scholastics were Christian schoolmen, or rationalist theologians, that liked to play word games.
Factual Q: Scholasticism can best be described as Empiricism without observation or measurement.
A: True
Discussion Q: Why do you think the Scholastics never really applied their knowledge? My personal opinion is that they had their minds blown by logic problems like "This statement is false."
Part two of this post covers Pomponazzi and Machiavelli.
Pomponazzi believed that the soul is mortal, angels and demons were fake, and possession/demonic prophecy were the result of sickness or insanity. He came up with this conclusion when a student asked how a soul can be eternal and still remain within the natural limits. He believed that the soul is bound to the body and only exists within the body.
Here's a quote that best describes Pomponazzi's beliefs, "It is likely that the whole world is deceived in this common idea of morality. For if we assume there are three major religions--Christ's, Moses', and Muhammad's--either all of them are false and the whole world is cheated, or two are wrong and the greater part of mankind is deceived.
Machiavelli is known for his book The Prince. He was a political thinker who had dissonant views in comparison to the majority. He believed a good ruler must lie sometimes, just because everyone else does it. He questioned the relationship between high morality and worldly success. He also believed that Christianity made men feeble by encouraging them to endure injury rather than avenge it.
Discussion Q: How can the human soul exist eternally if it is bound by natural limits?
I like to believe that the soul is bound by natural limits only when it is attached to the body. When we die, the soul transcends the body. What happens after that, I'm not sure.
Factual Q: Machiavelli believed Christianity makes mankind feeble.
A: True
First off Nick I do not think you missed a post you some how are now ahead, at least according to the syllabus. Of course us having the exam on Thursday is some how confusing seeming that it says on the syllabus that it should not be until next Tuesday. Needless to say I am completely confused as to what is going on.
ReplyDeleteWith this being said I am only going to post my questions for the reading that is now due.
Factual Question: During the period of the Scholastic, the great thinkers did not actually do any physical experiments but instead did a great many thought experiments. True of False?
Answer: True
Discussion question: Without ever doing their own physical experiment the Scholastics left all their knowledge to be gained through mere thought experiments. Do you think this was the right way to go? Why or Why not?
In response to Nick's Discussion question: I am very confused as to why the Scholastics never applied their knowledge to physical experiments and instead busied themselves with thought experiments that offered no hard evidence. I feel the busied themselves with great thinking, never realizing that their collective intelligence could have gone further when tested in the real world as compared to the internal world of thought.
Yeah you are so high-speed Nick that instead of covering the post you skipped, you jut went ahead and covered one we don't cover until; next week. Always think ahead, be one step ahead of the enemy.
ReplyDeletethat being said I'm gonna post questions from our last discussion and the next one and leave Machiavelli for next week(since I haven't read it).
Al Warriq:
True/False: Al Warriq was a believer of individual human prophesy.
False, Al Warriq denounced human religious prophesies> He believed anyone could make predictions, and some could make pretty accurate predictions with the help of science.
Do you believe in the individual's ability to prophesy?
Scholastics:
Which early philosopher did the Scholastics follow?
A. Plato
B. Socrates
C. Aristotle
D. Boethius
Answer: C. Aristotle
Discussion:
The Scholastics were both rationalists and Christians, is this even
possible?
My answer, depends on what your perception of Christianity is, if you believe it is irrational, than I suppose the meshing of these two ways of thought would be difficult. But I believe that Christianity is not at all irrational, as long as you realize the untapped potential of the human mind, and relate it to time. Those that believe in miracles and divine creation believe so because their minds do not have the same limits as those who do not. They are able to "see" what is not seen. Whereas others are prisoners of only what they can physically see. To a Christian(or other believer), the concept of seeing the unseen is completely rational.
Answer to Nick's question: probably because they were trying to obtain Law, Theology or medical degrees.They probably didn't have time to conduct experiments nor the scientific background or interest.
I'm going to post the questions about Machiavelli/Pomponazzi here.
ReplyDeleteFactual Question: In The Prince, What did Machiavelli believe a ruler should rule with?
Answer: A ruler should rule with an iron fist.
Discussion Question: How does it make you feel to live with the idea that your soul only lives within your body and dies when your body dies, as Pomponazzi said?
And to answer Nick's discussion question for today, according to logic, the human soul is incapable of living eternally if it is bound by natural limits.
ReplyDelete