30 MAY 2016 by ideonexus
Hold Expertise in Esteem
Facts, evidence, reason, logic, an understanding of science -- these are good things. (Applause.) These are qualities you want in people making policy. These are qualities you want to continue to cultivate in yourselves as citizens. (Applause.) That might seem obvious. (Laughter.) That's why we honor Bill Moyers or Dr. Burnell. We traditionally have valued those things. But if you were listening to today's political debate, you might wonder where this strain of anti-intellectualism ca...Folksonomies: expertise
Folksonomies: expertise
1 
notes
notes03 MAR 2014 by ideonexus
Science and Democracy are Synergistic
The values of science and tha values of democracy are
concordant, in many cases indistinguishable. Science confers
power on anyone who takes the trouble to learn it. Science
thrives on the free exchange of ideas; its values are
antithetical to secrecy. Science holds to no special vantage
points or privileged positions. Both science and democracy
encourage unconventional opinions and vigorous debate. Both
demand adeguate reason, coherent argument, rigorous standards of
evidence and hones...
1 The two concepts support one another.
06 JUN 2012 by ideonexus
Jefferson Sees Science Beginning a Revolution
Even in Europe a change has sensibly taken place in the mind of man. Science has liberated the ideas of those who read and reflect, and the American example has kindled feelings of right in the people. An insurrection has consequently begun of science talents and courage against rank and birth, which have fallen into contempt. It has failed in its first effort, because the mobs of the cities, the instrument used for its accomplishment, debased by ignorance, poverty and vice, could not be rest... 1 notes
notesAgainst privilege and rank.
06 JUN 2012 by ideonexus
Cultivate Good Habits While Your Young
Could the young but realize how soon they will become mere walking bundles of habits, they would give more heed to their conduct while in the plastic state. We are spinning our own fates, good or evil, and never to be undone. Every smallest stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar. The drunken Rip Van Winkle, in Jefferson's play, excuses himself for every fresh dereliction by saying, "I won't count this time!" Well! he may not count it, and a kind Heaven may not count it; ...Folksonomies: plasticity of mind youth
Folksonomies: plasticity of mind youth
1 notes
notesAnd your mind is plastic, rather than being set in bad habits when you get older.
13 APR 2012 by ideonexus
The Lunar Society
In 1764, the Lunar Society (so named because they met for dinner on the Monday night nearest the full moon; they called themselves the "Lunatics") was formed it in Birmingham and promoted new scientific and technological ideas. The original founders included Erasmus Darwin (Charles Darwin's grandfather), William Small (Jefferson's mentor), and the industrialist Matthew Boulton. Soon the "Lunatics" included many of the great minds in Britain (including Benjamin Franklin when he visited). In Sc... 1 notes
notesReferred to themselves as "Lunatics" and included many famous Americans and scientists.
12 JAN 2012 by ideonexus
Scripture Perverted Through Misinterpretation of "Logos"
But the reformation of these blasphemous attributes, and substitution of those more worthy, pure and sublime, seems to have been the chief object of Jesus in his discources to the Jews: and his doctrine of the Cosmogony of the world is very clearly laid down in the 3 first verses of the 1st. chapter of John, in these words, `{en arche en o logos, kai o logos en pros ton Theon kai Theos en o logos. `otos en en arche pros ton Theon. Panta de ayto egeneto, kai choris ayto egeneto ode en, o gegon... 1 notes
notesJefferson argues that it means "reason," which makes much more sense in scripture than "word," which makes no sense.
12 JAN 2012 by ideonexus
The Greatest Enemies of the Gospels are Their Believers
The truth is that the greatest enemies to the doctrines of Jesus are those calling themselves the expositors of them, who have perverted them for the structure of a system of fancy absolutely incomprehensible, and without any foundation in his genuine words. And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of ...Jefferson was very skeptical of the Gospels, which he felt were perverted with miracles that diluted the reformer's message.
18 MAY 2011 by ideonexus
Silencing Opinion is a 'peculiar evil'
In his celebrated little book, On Liberty, the English philosopher
John Stuart Mill argued that silencing an opinion is 'a
peculiar evil'. If the opinion is right, we are robbed of the
'opportunity of exchanging error for truth'; and if it's wrong, we
are deprived of a deeper understanding of the truth in 'its collision
with error'. If we know only our own side of the argument, we
hardly know even that; it becomes stale, soon learned only by
rote, untested, a pallid and lifeless truth.
Mill ... 1 notes
notesA summary by Carl Sagan, not a direct quote.
05 MAR 2011 by ideonexus
The Light of Science Defines the Rights of Human Beings
All eyes are opened, or opening to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view the palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born ,with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of god. These are grounds of hope for others.Folksonomies: enlightenment science
Folksonomies: enlightenment science
Quote from Jefferson arguing that scientific thought was making people aware that we are all equal.
24 JAN 2011 by ideonexus
Jefferson's Intention with “The Philosophy of Jesus of ...
In extracting the pure principles which he taught, we should have to strip off the artificial vestments in which they have been muffled by priests, who have travestied them into various forms, as instruments of riches and power to themselves. We must dismiss the Platonists and Plotinists, the Stagyrites and Gamalielites, the Eclectics, the Gnostics and Scholastics, their essences and emanations, their logos and demiurges, aeons and daemons, male and female, with a long train of … or, shall ...Folksonomies: founding fathers separation of church and state
Folksonomies: founding fathers separation of church and state
1 A description of the problems Jefferson had with the gospels in their existing form, which were easily twisted for greedy purposes.
