Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book: Kramnick , Isaac (1995-12-01), The Portable Enlightenment Reader (The Viking Portable Library), Penguin (Non-Classics), Retrieved on 2011-05-30
Folksonomies: enlightenment classics Memes
14 OCT 2021
The Temple of Reason 1/2
The festival was announced in the whole Commune the evening before; for this purpose, retreat was sounded by all the drummers and by the trumpeters of the troops in barracks at Châlons, in all parts of the town.
The next day at daybreak, it was again announced by general quarters, which was likewise sounded in all parts; the artillery did not fire, in order to save the powder to destroy the despots’ henchmen.
The former church of Notre Dame was, for lack of time and means, cleaned and pr... 1 
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notes14 OCT 2021
Temple of Reason 2/2
At the foot of the mountain, pure water flowed from a spring, falling by various cascades; twelve men dressed as mountaineers, armed with pikes and with civic crowns on their heads, were hidden in caverns in the mountain; as the procession arrived, singing the last couplet of the Marseillaise, the mountaineers quietly came out of their caverns without fully revealing themselves, and when “Aux armes, citoyens” was sung, they ran to get axes to defend their retreat, posted themselves on di... 1 notes
notesChild Reference
EncyclopédieBooks, Brochures, and Chapters>Book Chapter: Diderot, Denis (1755), Encyclopédie, Vol. 5 (1755), pp. 635–648A, Paris, Retrieved on 2011-05-30Source Material [quod.lib.umich.edu]
Folksonomies: knowledge encyclopedia 30 MAY 2011
Definition of the Encyclopedia
ENCYCLOPEDIE, f. n. (Philosophy). This word means the interrelation of all knowledge; it is made up of the Greek prefix en, in, and the nouns kyklos, circle, and paideia, instruction, science, knowledge. In truth, the aim of an encyclopedia is to collect all the knowledge scattered over the earth, to present its general outlines and structure to the men with whom we live, and to transmit this to those who will come after us, so that the work of past centuries may be useful to the following ce...
1 The noble purpose of this important work.
30 MAY 2011
Greek or Latin?
If I were asked which, of the Greek and Latin languages, is to be preferred, I would answer neither; my opinion is that they both should be used: Greek for anything that Latin cannot express, or would not offer equivalent expression for, or one less exacting; I would have Greek serve only to fill in the gaps in Latin, and this simply because familiarity with Latin is more widespread: for I concede that if we were to choose on the grounds of richness and abundance, there would be no hesitation... 1 notes
notesDiderot discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using each of these classical languages.
30 MAY 2011
Definition of Encyclopedia V2
Encyclopedia. This word signifies chain of knowledge ; it is composed of the Greek preposition ἐν , in , and the nouns κύκλος , circle , and παιδεία , knowledge .
Indeed, the purpose of an encyclopedia is to collect knowledge disseminated around the globe; to set forth its general system to the men with whom we live, and transmit it to those who will come after us, so that the work of preceding centuries will not become useless to the centuries to come; and ...Another translation of the introduction to the article on Encyclopedie.
01 JUN 2011
The Encyclopedia Could Only Emerge in an Enlightened Age
I have I have said I have said that it could only belong to a philosophical age to attempt an encyclopidie; and I have said this because such a work constantly demands more intellectual daring than is commonly found in ages of pusillanimous taste. All things must be examined, debated, investigated without exception and without regard for anyone's feelings. . . . We must ride roughshod over all these ancient puerilities, overturn the barriers that reason never erected, give back to the arts an... 1 notes
notesWhere ideas may be openly debated and discussed, and people exist who are interested in giving back to society.
01 JUN 2011
Bad Men Hoard Knowledge
It would be desirable for the government to authorize people to go into the factories and shops, to see the craftsmen at their work, to question them, to draw the tools, the machines, and even the premises.
There are special circumstances when craftsmen are so secretive about their techniques that the shortest way of learning about them would be to apprentice oneself to a master or to have some trustworthy person do this. There would be few secrets that one would fail to bring to light by t...
1 Instead of sharing it to the benefit of the rest of the world, and yet these same men complain of the wisdom of the ancients lost to the present.
Child Reference
The Human Mind Emerged from BarbarismBooks, Brochures, and Chapters>Book Chapter: d'Alembert, Jean Le Rond (1751), The Human Mind Emerged from Barbarism, Retrieved on 2011-05-30Source Material [rationalargumentator.com]
Folksonomies: enlightenment philosophes 30 MAY 2011
The Geniuses for Whom the Greeks would Build Statues
These are the principal geniuses that the human mind must regard as its masters and for whom the Greeks would have erected statues, even if they were obliged to make more space by demolishing the monuments of some conquerors.Folksonomies: enlightenment philosophes
Folksonomies: enlightenment philosophes
1 notes
notesBacon, Descartes, Newton, and Locke are the "principal geniuses" of the Enlightenment.
30 MAY 2011
Why Descartes Matters
His metaphysics, as ingenious and new as his physics, had approximately the same fate; and it is with approximately the same reasons that we can justify it. For such is today the fortune of this great man that after having had countless followers he is practically reduced to a few apologists. He was without doubt mistaken in assuming the existence of innate ideas: but if he had retained from the peripatetic sect [the Aristotelians] the only truth that they taught about the origin of ideas in ... 1 notes
notesDescartes is mocked for looking for innate ideas in the mind, but this is a minor infraction for the revelation he provided that we cannot trust our senses in any way.
30 MAY 2011
Francis Bacon's Only Flaw Was that He Was Not Revolutionary
We do not know what we should admire the most, his rich intuitive views on all subjects or the dignified tone of his style. His writings can be compared only with those of Hippocrates on medicine; and they would be neither less admired nor less read if the cultivation of the mind were as dear to the human race as the conservation of health. But only the writings of leading sectarians can achieve a certain vogue; Bacon was not one of them, and his philosophic method was opposed to this: it was... 1 notes
notesHe was too dignified, his philosophy to straightforward to make waves in culture, but his simple idea to look at nature for what it is was a revolutionary idea.
Child Reference
What is Enlightenment?Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Brochure/Pamphlet: Kant, Immanuel (1784), What is Enlightenment?, Retrieved on 2011-05-30Source Material [www.english.upenn.edu]
Folksonomies: enlightenment 30 MAY 2011
What is the Enlightenment?
Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self-imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! [dare to know] "Have courage to use your own understanding!"--that is the motto of enlightenment.Folksonomies: enlightenment sapere aude
Folksonomies: enlightenment sapere aude
1 notes
notesThe maturation of mankind into a daring world of self-education.
30 MAY 2011
The Enlightenment was not an "Enlightened Age"
If it is now asked, "Do we presently live in an enlightened age?" the answer is, "No, but we do live in an age of enlightenment." As matters now stand, a great deal is still lacking in order for men as a whole to be, or even to put themselves into a position to be able without external guidance to apply understanding confidently to religious issues. But we do have clear indications that the way is now being opened for men to proceed freely in this direction and that the obstacles to general e... 1 notes
notesThe Enlightenment is a journey not a destination.
30 MAY 2011
Ignorance is Slavery
Laziness and cowardice are the reasons why so great a proportion of men, long after nature has released them from alien guidance (natura-liter maiorennes), nonetheless gladly remain in lifelong immaturity, and why it is so easy for others to establish themselves as their guardians. It is so easy to be immature. 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,... 1 notes
notesLaziness prevents men from maturing, causing them to remain subjugated to the knowledge of others.
30 MAY 2011
Freedom is the Only Requirement for Enlightenment
Nothing is required for this enlightenment, however, except freedom; and the freedom in question is the least harmful of all, namely, the freedom to use reason publicly in all matters. But on all sides I hear: "Do not argue!" The officer says, "Do not argue, drill!" The tax man says, "Do not argue, pay!" The pastor says, "Do not argue, believe!" (Only one ruler in the World says, "Argue as much as you want and about what you want, but obey!") In this we have examples of pervasive restrictions...Folksonomies: enlightenment. education
Folksonomies: enlightenment. education
1 notes
notesPeople must be free to think for themselves in order to learn and better society.
