Welcome to Mr. Kirby's AP Euroblog. This site is for all CHS students and guest to comment on topics relating to AP Modern European history.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Towards a New Century
Considering the "Out with the Old" reading, and the list of significant figures on p#28, who do you feel contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century?
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche has by far the coolest and most interesting mustache I've ever seen. It's very bushy and you can't really see his mouth anymore, making it kind of humorous. :)
Kierkegaard was an interesting thinker, as most thinkers and philosophers are. However, Kierkegaard stands out amongst thinkers as the founder of existentialism, the branch of philosophy that deals with the question ‘How can one be true to oneself?’ Kierkegaard rejected sciences and thoughts that relied on abstract concepts such as real life (because reality is obviously really abstract); he saw those as incomprehensible using abstract categories. Kierkegaard was the first writer to discuss angst as a state of being, and defined it as different from fear. I enjoyed reading this definition and distinction because psychology fascinates me. Angst is like fear, however fear always has an object. Angst does not; the person feeling angst is simply frightened. Angst is something felt by everyone and Kierkegaard helped shed light on this fact that thousands of psychologists have studied and understood and diagnosed. Without Kierkegaard, none of that would have been possible.
Kierkegaard also challenged Hegel’s idea of the dialectic, arguing that the divine aspect of Hegel’s work was immaterial because it did not deal with the position of ordinary existing individuals. Kierkegaard built off of his work on angst and argued that the view of the divine made no difference to him, as he was stuck down on Earth and feeling very angsty and lonely and isolated. Kierkegaard also challenged corruption in the church. Though religious himself, he attacked the union of church and state as being bad for individuals. Interestingly enough, thinkers such as Nietzsche would take his arguments and use them to attack the church in their own way.
Bonus: (best to worst) Nietzsche, Huxley, Spencer, Dostoyevsky, Darwin
After the readings, I believe that Soren Kierkegaard contributed to the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century. His thoughts introduced a new way of thinking during this era. He challenged Christianity and religion, wanting to change them. For centuries, corruption has occurred in religion. He thought that the Church only cared about getting more members to attend, which meant more power the clergy men had over people, a corrupt ideal to him. He believed that the Church didn't care about their followers, it just wanted more power. This contradicted the Church's doctrine, which Kierkgaard believed should be a stress on the importance of the individual, not the whole. For Kierkegaard to challenge religion is very courageous. He didn't want to abolish religion or Christianity, he wanted to change different aspects of it. Kierkegaard also was the one who first discussed angst which is dread and anxiety. All people experience this because everyone is fearful of something. His philosophy dealt a lot with the issues of how one lives, and concentrating on the importance of personal choice and commitment. He thought self- reflection was important. Kierkegaard contributed the most significant thoughts as the new century approached because he really stressed people being powerful and challenging the Church. He wanted people to have confidence to change the evils of society. Even though what he wrote about religion and the Church was risky and controversial, it was true. Normal people may have agreed with him, but didn't have the courage to voice their opinions, good thing Kierkegaard was confident enough to.
I think that Sigmund Freud contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century because his ideas have withstood the test of time and are still well-known today.
This Viennese psychoanalyst had very interesting ideas about the inner workings of the mind, which "undermined optimism about the rational nature of the human mind". A major work of his was The Interpretation of Dreams, published in 1900. This was filled with what came to be known as psychoanalysis. Some of his theories were groundbreaking. For example, his thoughts about the id (the unconscious drive for pleasure), the ego (the reasonable, real part), and the superego (the conscience and values of society) were very new to people. He also said that repression was crucial to his theories, because everyone was repressed in one way or another and had a great effect on that person.
Although many of Freud's theories are outdated and have been disproved, they have had a great impact - an entire way of thinking had emerged based on his ideas.
AnnMarie Augusto Mr. Kirby AP European History 7 March 2010
Herbert Spencer was an idealist in an era of industrialism and political growth. Spencer made several contributions as a philosopher and sociologist with his theory of evolution. Although his reputation opposed that of Charles Darwin, Spencer’s in-depth study of society led to what he called “synthetic philosophy.” He believed with an optimistic approach that evolution was synonymous with progress. His work significantly influenced late nineteenth century developments in biology, psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Spencer was the first to avow that human society may be studied methodically doing so from an evolutionary stance based on the assumption that human behavior was socially determined. He coined the phrase “survival of the fittest” and had elucidated his belief that social organizations arose out of social functions in his famous work, Principles of Sociology from 1876-1896. Through his scientific and empirical methods, Spencer was able to effectively argue that there was a gradual specialization amongst things towards self-sufficiency and individuation starting with biological organisms. Spencer believed that ‘human nature’ was “the aggregate of men’s instincts and sentiments” that would soon become accustomed to social survival. He made citizens of society question the pursuit of self-interest that many seemed to employ. Spencer suggested that people would not conflict with one another because it would be a waste of their time as ‘rational egoists.’ At first, many people during Spencer’s time thought his ideals were obscure and overly conceptual, but as they were more readily accepted they were seen to be clear and concrete. Spencer was an important figure as we approached the twentieth century due to his encouragement for people to try to think of society and culture as belonging to the natural world.
I believe that Herbert Spencer contributed the most influential ideas before the new century due to the many areas that he impacted. The combination of Spencer and Darwin’s ideas developed into Social Darwinism and the concept of “survival of the fittest”. Spencer felt that societies developed over time through struggles with their environment and that the government should not interfere. This created a new way of thinking in which society was like an organism that was connected to the natural world. The lack of government intervention also brought up his idea of individual freedom instead of cooperation. Spencer felt that society’s evolution would increase the freedom of individuals instead of creating cooperative communities. “Survival of the fittest” called for the advancement of the strong while the weak would decline. This meant that not only would superior races or classes grow as society evolved but they would at the expense of the inferior. This led people to believe in severe racism and nationalism in some radical cases. Herbert Spencer influenced so many areas of thought with his new views of society that he had the most significant thoughts as we neared the new century by bringing in the new and taking out the old.
Although many of Freud’s psychiatric treatment methods proved ineffective, he is still the most significant thinker on the list. Freud revolutionized the way scientists look at the human mind and laid the foundation for modern psychology. Freud was the first to believe that many human problems and neuroses stem from traumatic childhood experiences, which is considered common knowledge today. Freud was also the first to believe that the human brain is capable of storing emotions and memories without the individual’s knowledge. This, Freud called the “third great humiliation of human history,” the revelation that we are not entirely in control of our own minds. Freud’s studies focused on the interpretation of dreams and provided the first scientific examination of them. In ages past dreams were often thought to be messages from divine entities or, drawing closer to Freud’s time, meaningless mental jumbles of images and sounds. Freud’s studies revealed that although dreams were not inspired by God, they did indeed have meaning. Dreams reflected people’s wishes and desires. Usually dreams fulfilled the wishes of the dreamer, often without the dreamer realizing it. This showcases the brain’s ability to work without its owner’s consent, as dreams are formed to match wishes that the owner did not even realize that (s)he had. Modern psychology is built on Freud’s studies. Without Freud’s realization that humans are not in control of their own minds, the field could never have emerged. Although Freud himself was never adept at treating psychological disorders, his work paved the way for other psychologists who would develop far more useful methods of treatment.
After reading about several of the individuals who contributed their ideas at the start of the new century, I believe Herbert Spencer contributed the most. Not only did he contribute to ethics, but also religion, economics, anthropology, political theory, and many more. First of all, his concept of evolution applied to the development of anything and everything. According to Spencer, the process of continuous differentiation is the law of all progress. In other words, all things start out in their simplest forms and continue to change until they have reached a level of complexity. Furthermore, he went on to explain in detail the previous concept of “survival of the fittest.” Although this idea came from the works of Charles Darwin, Spencer was successful in extending the theory into a far broader means of society. This concept, which depicted a constant struggle amongst species, explained why certain individuals survived and multiplied while others unfortunately lost the fight. Nonetheless, Spencer was able to apply this theory to several branches of knowledge. In addition, Spencer advocated a society evolving toward an increasing freedom for individuals. In doing so, our society required minimal government intervention. Going into a brand new century, this ideology was perfect for setting the tone at a new way of life. Previously, government had almost total control of its people and set several strict laws that were far from optional. Fortunately, Spencer felt the need to make some adjustments, and having the high status that he did, he was able to influence a great change. As a result, despite the significant concepts and ideas brought forth at this time, I truly believe Herbert Spencer was the most noteworthy.
I feel that Sigmund Freud contributed the most significant thoughts as the new century approaches. Freud's new ideas about dreams have paved the way for modern psychology.
Freud, who believed that two of the three greatest humiliations in our history have been the discovery that we are not at the center of the universe and the discovery that we are not automatically the best of creation, said he believed that we are not in control of our own minds. This may sound frightening, but Freud reasoned that we can use our minds (or most specifically our dreams) to "discover" our hidden emotions, so that even if we don't have control over our mind there may be a way to better understand it.
Freud’s work is perhaps the most important for modern psychology. It has lead to new ideas about dreams and understanding human emotions. Without his ideas we might still view our dreams as “divine portents or as the bizarre side-effects of indigestion” as our ancestors before Freud did. As Freud himself said: "Insight such as this falls to one's lot but once in a lifetime."
The English sociologist, Herbert Spencer became one of the most influential figures of his time by applying Charles Darwin’s scientific discoveries to human society better known as Social Darwinism. Darwin wrote the book Origin of Species that described how plants and animals were in a constant struggle for existence in which the “fittest” survived and were the one’s who would remain in society today. Herbert Spencer applied these ideas of “natural selection” to life in Europe with things such as companies. He believed that the “fittest” companies would flourish and be successful in their earnings while the weaker companies would fail and eventually go out of business. He also believed in the freedom of the individual and that government should be minimal in social and economical life. He was influential in that people would use the idea of “survival of the fittest” in everyday society. For example the wealthy classes used his theory to confirm their superiority over the lower classes and a similar excuse also became popular among nations to rationalize their quest to conquer other nations that were weaker than they were. This led to imperialism and racism during the next couple of decades which shows just how much Spencer influenced European society.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, Europe witnessed numerous technological advancements, a revolution in literature and the arts, and the rise of a new group of intellectuals. The most influential intellectual of this era (in my opinion) was Charles Darwin.
Darwin put forth novel ideas in his On the Origin of Species—in which, he stated that “many more individuals of each species are born that can possibly survive.” In his later work, The Descent of Man, Darwin again shocked the world by arguing that “man [wa]s the co-descendant with other mammals of a common progenitor.” Darwin’s theory changed many people’s attitudes toward religion and science. Some people readily accepted his ideas while others refused to believe that the human race was not superior to other animals. For those who believed in reason and science, Darwin’s theory perfectly explained the natural world. Some Darwin enthusiasts even tried to apply his theory to society.
An example of such individual was Herbert Spencer. According to Spencer, societies evolved through time from fierce struggles with their environment. Progress was made by the “fittest” ones. Similar to nature, the state should not interfere with this natural process. In other words, while the superior individuals gain more power (whether it be fiscal or political), individuals who are at the bottom of the society would suffer. Spencer therefore, suggests that the decline of the weak was perfectly reasonable because of natural selection.
Darwin’s theory was also applied to the society by nationalists and racists. For these rabid nationalists, all nations were in conflict—a struggle that was similar to a “struggle for existence.” Also, nationalism was often accompanied by colonialism. Imperialists often happily used Darwinism to justify their causes. In addition, racism was revived based on these new ideas. For instance, Houston Steward Chamberlain propagated that all Germans were descendants of the Aryan race, and their supreme heritage shall be protected from lower races such as Jews, Africans, and Asians.
Darwin had impacts on other areas as well. He alone, led the benighted people onto a new path.
Of these individuals, Soren Kierkegaard contributed the most significant thoughts. He wanted to renew Western Christianity by attacking the European rational and philosophic tradition. He also hoped to make the church more passionate and subjective. However, some of the concepts that Kierkegaard rose were actually used to question the existence of religion altogether. An example is the way of thinking, called existentialism, which he introduced. Kierkegaard also was the first to introduce angst. Angst is very similar to fear, but has a few differences. Fear, unlike angst, always has an object. Fear also can potentially go away; if the feared object is destroyed it is no longer feared. Angst will never go away because people are just frightened. Kierkegaard was one of the first to stress subjective truth over objective truth. This means that he felt that truth was only based on one’s own personal experiences; things like science had no truth in them. An example is the concept of freedom. Freedom does not exist in the real world it is rather a state of mind. If someone believes he is free, then he truly is. Kierkegaard also had the best facial hair so he basically dominates his fellow philosophers.
I believe that Kierkegaard contributed the most significant thoughts. He attacked systematic philosophy such as science because it relied on abstract concepts. He attempted to revive Western Christianity by criticizing the European rational and philosophic tradition. Ironically, his reasoning led to the introduction of existentialism, which would use the same reasoning he used to attack rational and philosophic tradition to attack religion. He also came up with the idea of angst, or dread and anxiety, and was careful to differentiate it from fear. Fear always has an object- removing the object can remove fear, but angst cannot be removed by removing an object, for it does not stem from the fear of an object - rather, the person feeling angst is scared. This discovery led to research in that field. He also differentiated between subjective truth and objective truth. He emphasized the former. He believed that the only truth is one's own individual,psychological experience. Therefore, something such as freedom is not a tangible thing, but rather a state of mind. Overall, he was the most significant figure of the list.
I believe Sigmund Freud has contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century. His ideas revolutionized the way conventional scientists looked at the human mind. He also laid the foundation to what is now known as modern psychology. Freud is best known for the development of psychoanalysis and for his theories of the unconscious mind and the defense mechanism of repression. In addition, he established the clinical practice of psychoanalysis for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. He is renowned for his redefinition of sexual desire as the primary motivational energy of human life, as well as his therapeutic techniques, including the use of free association, his theory of transference in the therapeutic relationship, and the interpretation of dreams as sources of insight into unconscious desires. One of his famous works was The Interpretation of Dreams in which he proposed that the unconscious exists and described a method for gaining access to it. Also the preconscious was described as a layer between conscious and unconscious thought. Therefore, its contents could be accessed with a little effort. He also concluded that humans struggle with the complex aspects of their minds. For instance, id stood for our desire for pleasure and to avoid pain or better known as the pleasure principle. Ego represented the seat of reason. This is where people realize they must use self-control to live in a society or better known as the reality principle. Lastly, there is the superego, which portrays the moral values of society. These are imposed by society in general and parents in particular. Therefore Freud greatly impacted the world of psychology. However some of his ideas may have not been successful and outdated his ideas have been prevalent and have paved the way for an entire different way of thinking which has greatly contributed to modern psychology.
While he can’t compete with Nietzsche’s ‘stache, I have to say Darwin contributed the most significant ideas from this category of intellectuals. Darwin’s theories on biology were actually correct unlike many of his contemporaries whose work is still disputed. Darwin used simple observation and logic to explain processes that weren’t even entirely considered at the time. Natural selection and evolution were hardly taken into account by many by the time Darwin found a full understanding of the processes. Darwin’s work is among the greatest of all scientific finds although it also expanded to sociology as well. Darwin’s ideas can be applied to nature as well as social psychology and religion. I’m surprised that this isn’t as popular of an answer as some of the others since Darwin’s unquestionable significance has turned him and the terms used to summarize his work into household names. Darwin has become a symbol for science and logic since he brought the idea of natural selection to the attention of the public.
And of course, most importantly, Darwin’s theories paved the way for Bobby Henderson’s most influential work. It’s a shame that Darwin was seriously lacking in the facial hair department.
Although many others contributed to significant thoughts and ideas as Europe approached the new century, it is my opinion that Darwin's were the most significant.
Darwin's ideas were looked at in several different ways, stretching out over several categories, making it influential not only to scientists. Firstly, Darwin changed how we look at nature, animals, and ourselves. Although his ideas were not immediately accepted, Darwin's thoughts helped us better understand our world. By giving a scientific explanation for something most people had perceived as God's work, Darwin paved a path for future scientific discoveries and a whole new era for society, the scientific era. In addition, Darwin's theories of evolution were applied to other areas of society. For example, Herbert Spencer used these ideas to develop the concept of Social Darwinism. This idea grew off of Darwin's theory of "survival of the fittest", saying that the wealthy were at the top of society because they were biologically fit to be. Another application of Darwin's ideas was racism. By also using the concept of "survival of the fittest", people began to justify their racism by claiming some races were more superior than others because their biological makeup made them so. To conclude, in my opinion Darwin is the most influential man leading the 19th century because he not only helped pave the path for the Scientific Revolution, but his ideas also affected society in several other different categories.
It is also my opinion that Dostoevsky has the best facial hair. I mean come on, he looks like Davy Jones.
I believe that Herbert Spencer contributed the most as the new century progressed. Herbert Spencer is the "father of Social Darwinism" and was the main man behind its logic. He was able to take Charles Darwins theory's and apply to human life and the evolution of man. Herbert Spencer took Charles Darwins theory of survival of the fittest and applied it to the psychology of man kind, "social thought". Herbert Spencer explains how man moves from Homogeneous to Heterogeneous over time. Herbert spencer also talks about how even though divisons of labor between the different ranked working class have progressed, there is no division between the labor among the nation. the nation was considered to be homogeneous. Herbert Spencer was very important because he was able to take science and include it into the way of life. it gave people a different outlook on a lot of things and improved the minds of others.
After reading several works from key philosophers, I found that Herbert Spencer was the most influential. Spencer made key observations about evolution and the connections with society. Spencer spead the idea of survival of the fittest which expanded to many areas of life. Survival of the Fittest concluded that the strongest will survive while the weakest will die out, leaving the population with only the stong ones. This elimination of weaker individual's will cause the society as a whole to strengthen. This idea grew to influence a variety of groups which took the philosphy to the extremes. Racism branced from this idea and people began isolating the races they found inferior and weak. His idea can be connected to the Halocaust which has become an enormous event in our history. Although Spencer's idea led to racism and other negatives it was still extremely influential. Spencer's idea also connected nature and evolution to the current society. Spencer observed that a society starts simple then grows to become complex, leading him to believe less government would be better to let a society grow. This idea's influence can be found in a variety of philosophes. Many politcal groups believe that less government would be best and they're reasons can be connected to Spencer's ideas. Spencer also brought more thought to the idea of evolution. This would influence many bological studies that search for our history. Spencer's thoughts can be found today with the idea of evolution. Today there are theories that humans decend from mammals, such as apes. This thought has a strong connection to Spencer's ideas about evolution. Spencer's theories could be seen in business and individuals. The larger more successful businesses would thrive while the smaller struggeling businesses would go under. This idea can still be seen today while the larger complanies dominate much of the business world. As you can see, Spencer's ideas could connect to a variety of areas and still be seen today. This is why I believe his ideas were the most influential.
I believe nietzsche has the best facial hair. It reminds me of a walrus. Henry was a close runner up though.
Out of the list of thinkers presented, I feel that Herbert Spencer contributed the most significant thoughts of the twentieth century. His theory of the “survival of the fittest” was used by factory owners around the world for decades to justify their awful treatment of the workers they barely provided for. Thus, indirectly, millions of workers were adversely affected by Spencer’s theories, as their plight was considered justified by social scientists and politicians of the time. Even in modern times, one hears arguments against social security that are eerily Spencian: “They just don’t have a job because they are too lazy to find one!” is a retort that I hear all too often. He also redefined the meaning of progress, asserting that previous definitions only took into account the result of progress and not the process itself. Spencer said that progress was “the produce of a greater quantity and variety of articles for the satisfaction of men's wants” among other things, such as an increase in individual freedom. He said that an increase in individual freedom, and, in general, progress, would “directly or indirectly tend to human happiness.” This focus on individual freedom, influenced by classical liberalism, can be seen in political parties today, particularly the Republican Party. I also found the application of his idea that all evolution moves from simple to complex to science interesting: first, science was intertwined with religion; then it was wedded to art; and finally, it became an organism all on its own. By the way, Nietzsche’s mustache simply blows everyone else’s facial hair away. No contest.
Throughout the eighteenth century there were tons of great thinkers all of who influenced not only their time period but left lasting impressions our society today. Of these great philosophers, scientists, and writers the most important I would say is Louis Pasteur. While he did not make contributions in the terms of new sociological or economic ideas but in scientific areas especially those of medicine. Pasteur invented new cures and prevention for diseases as well as developing the modern germ theory of diseases. He put great focus on developing vaccines and greatly furthered this area of study such as creating the first one for rabies, smallpox, and anthrax. It was also from Pasteur that the idea of pasteurization was founded as he developed methods for pasteurizing milk and wine. His significant contributions not only helped to increase healthcare the 18th century, but he helped to expand the basis for modern medicine and further research in this field. Not only did he help save countless lives, but the area of medicine would not be the same without him. While all of the thinkers of the time are important Pasteur is the most significant because his ideas were implemented in everyday life. Instead of just thinking about the world he made changes to and helped immeasurable numbers of people, and through his work changed the world in a drastic way.
With Europe entering the 20th Century the philosopher/thinker who molded the way in which society behaved was Herbert Spencer. He was able to take the theory proposed by Charles Darwin and apply it to society which we now think of as social Darwinism. His application did not revolutionize how society worked but gave people a perspective that made sense to them as to how to view how people got ahead in life and why people did not get ahead. This thought process was extremely influential in how people viewed each other. This gave people a work hard mentality so they could be strong but gave those who had the money and power an excuse to not help the less fortunate widening the social divide and cutting the already scant welfare institutions.
I believe Herbert Spencer has contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century. He is most well known for his theory of evolution and natural selection, as well as his establishment of Social Darwinism. Herbert Spencer was able to take Charles Darwin’s theories and apply/spread them to ideas such as adaptation and “survival of the fittest”. Although Charles Darwin published his book “The Origin of Species” in 1859, Herbert Spencer had been thinking about the ideas of evolution and progress ahead of Darwin. His idea of “survival of the fittest” is apparent through industrial, capitalist, and many other areas. His “survival of the fittest” represented that the wealthy, who were the fittest in his mind, were rich due to evolutionary improvement. In that, he illustrated a constant struggle amongst species, explicated why certain individuals survived and multiplied, deeming higher evolved people to be the most fit for society, while others unluckily lost the struggle and were less socially developed. He also believed society was developing toward escalating freedom for individuals and that government should not interfere. It created a way of thought process that the societies like organisms that was connected and changed in accordance to the environment. So I feel Herbert Spencer was most momentous. Not only has he impacted the society worldwide, but his ideas are still well known today.
I find that Charles Darwin has had the most profound influence on Europe during the time period that we are studying and into the present day. By attributing the progression of the natural world to science rather than god, Darwin revolutionized Europe’s knowledge of both nature and humanity itself. Of course, Darwin’s philosophies weren’t always interpreted in the way that they were meant to. “Survival of the Fittest” was used to rationalize the success of a minority percentage of society at the expense of the destitute masses. The assumption that evolution applied to the social aspects of a society as opposed to its biological development led to mistreatment of minority groups throughout Europe. Darwin’s philosophies, however, when applied to biological understanding of our world, were an enormous step towards better understanding of the world. He essentially catalyzed the flood of understanding that was continued by other scientists that continues today. Oh, and I’m a fan of Nietzsche's facial hair. In the picture it looks like he has a mohawk too.
In my opinion Herbert Spencer contributed the most significant thoughts as we approached the new century. As a polymath Spencer made contributions in fields such as biology, ethics, sociology, psychology, etc. Spencer took many of Darwin's ideas on evolution and expanded them as to explain the physical progression of the biological world. He is responsible for developing the theory of " survival of the fittest." Many of his theories contested the generally accepted doctrine based beliefs of society. As a result, these theories were groundbreaking and paved the way for a new line of thinking outside of religious belief. Spencer's development of a synthetic philosophy to replace that of the crumbling orthodox philosophies was a very significant facet in the advancement of modern science over religion. Spencer also created the Social Darwinist by taking the ideas of "survival of the fittest" and applying them to mankind. This is why I believe his contributions to be most significant.
Søren Kierkegaard in my opinion contributed the most significant thoughts of the new century. By introducing new ways of thinking to the people of Western Europe, Kierkegaard stirred up all the normal thoughts and ideologies of the time. He questioned the validity of the churches teachings, and the science of the time. He believed that these institutions were only based on abstract thought, which Kierkegaard thought couldn’t adequately explain human life and existence. He was the first to introduce and discuss angst as a crucial piece of the human psyche. He discussed how angst was a fear of no tangible object, making it something that every human being shares but that none can combat against. This introduction of a new human condition turned the thinking of the new century on its head. Soren Kierkegaard introduced the most revolutionary and significant and original thoughts of the new century in Western Europe.
P.S. Not only does Nietzsche, obviously keep his mustache well trimmed, but he also has the fortitude to rock the fo-hawk. If only he was around for Jersey Shore.
The 18th century included many great thinkers who had great impact on their time period, and even in our society today. Out of the thinkers from the list given, the person who I feel who contributed most significantly to the century was Herbert Spencer. Spencer further developed Darwin’s ideas into his own original theories concerning the social aspect of society. Spencer believed that through their own obstacles and interacting with their own environment that societies prospered, and thus no government should interfere. Furthermore, no government interference emphasized ideas of individual freedom, and therefore Spencer believed that through evolution, society would increase the freedom of individuals over time. Coining the term “survival of the fittest,” Spencer theorized that the strongest individuals would advance in society while the weak would decline, resulting in the success of the superiors of society. It is also important to consider that Spencer’s theory was actively used in the 18th century, a way to justify the cruel treatment of employees and the wealth of the small upper class. The fact that Spencer’s thoughts impacted thousands of employees obviously makes his theories a significant contribution.
Søren Kierkegaard was the mot significant as he paved the way toward a new Christianity. He wanted everyone to think about religious rationally which is still followed today. Kierkegaard was the first of the philosophers to make people think everything rationally. Still today we follow his ideas before doing anything. He not only attacked the branches of Christianity but gave people a new way to think and see things. His philosophy all together is interesting and is followed directly by today’s generation unlike all the ideas of the philosophers. He was the first to discuss the idea of anxiety and dread which happens because all human beings fear something in their life. His philosophy wanted people to think of their lives rationally and also explained why anxiety and fear happens. His ideas did not want abolish the existence of Christianity but to change it and destruct only the evils of society and religion Therefore, in my opinion Kierkegaard was the most significant among the out with the old thinkers as we approach a new century.
Søren Kierkegaard was the mot significant as he paved the way toward a new Christianity. He wanted everyone to think about religious rationally which is still followed today. Kierkegaard was the first of the philosophers to make people think everything rationally. Still today we follow his ideas before doing anything. He not only attacked the branches of Christianity but gave people a new way to think and see things. His philosophy all together is interesting and is followed directly by today’s generation unlike all the ideas of the philosophers. He was the first to discuss the idea of anxiety and dread which happens because all human beings fear something in their life. His philosophy wanted people to think of their lives rationally and also explained why anxiety and fear happens. His ideas did not want abolish the existence of Christianity but to change it and destruct only the evils of society and religion Therefore, in my opinion Kierkegaard was the most significant among the out with the old thinkers as we approach a new century.
In my opinion, I think that Søren Kierkegaard was the contributed the most and was the most interesting figure. I think that his reasoning behind the difference between fear and angst was very interesting. Kierkegaard stated that human angst never goes away because there is no objective while fear always has an objective. I think he contributed to a lot of the daily and more common aspects of psychology because fear and angst are something that people deal with everyday. I also think that he's interesting because it said that he criticizes the sciences and then later in his life thinks that they are the only thing that are true because they have an objective. I think he lastly contributed in defining values such as freedom, liberty, etc. as states of the mind. He made those concepts more abstract which is how we view them today.
As for the beard, I think that Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche has the best facial hair. My only question is how does he get it to grow like that and how long did it take to grow it????
Herbert Spencer contributed the most to 20th century thinking, integrating the 19th century scientific principles of natural selection and evolution with the new social order created by his then-contemporary Industrial Revolution.
Spencer's ideas of Social Darwinism integrated the work of previous thinkers like Wolff, Goethe, and Van Baer (as referenced in his "Progress: Its Law and Cause") into contemporary thinkers' ideas. By defining the progress of society as caused by the "survival of the fittest", he brought forth an impetus, or at least a justification, for the Age of Imperialism by major colonial powers.
"Survival of the fittest" also applied to the newly-industrialized powers in Europe. The principle supported a laissez-faire, capitalist economy, as thinkers such as Adam Smmith advocated, which encouraged individual investment of capital by the wealthy. Along with imperialism, this stimulated the strengthening of the more industrialized nations in Western Europe, and played a key role in the way our map has been drawn today.
Spencer's ideas reach us even today, when modern conservatives call on the laissez-faire / "survival of the fittest" policies to justify their calls for loosened regulation of the economy.
(Also, Dostoevsky may look like Davy Jones, but that beard just can't compete with Nietzsche's 'stache. You just don't see anything like that anymore...)
I feel that of all the significant figures associated with social thought, Soren Kierkegaard has contributed not only the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century, but the most original thoughts as well. After reading about Kierkegaard’s philosophy and his ideals regarding such topics as religion, angst, and truth, I can say that his beliefs intrigued me the most when compared with the other significant figures. I found it interesting how he rejected systematic philosophy because it was too much of a subjective approach to view life in his opinion. One of his theories that stems from this approach that many are now familiar with today, is the idea of angst. His theory stated that fear and angst are very similar but share one slight nuance. When an individual has fear, it is triggered by an object; therefore it is possible for them to rid themselves of this dismay. Angst on the other hand does not have a specific trigger and is not caused by a specific object, therefore making it impossible for one to get rid of. In fewer words, he preferred viewing the world through a more objective method and his new way of thinking, existentialism, even went so far as to question the existence of religion. This is the foremost reason why I enjoyed reading about Kierkegaard; because he wasn’t afraid to voice his true values regardless of the ridicule he may have later received. I also found his philosophy to be sensible. His way of thinking in my opinion is easy to comprehend but at the same time, is well thought out and extremely fascinating. Overall, I feel that Soren Kierkegaard has definitely contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century, and many of his ideals remain in existence today.
Although there were many influential figures during this century, Herbert Spencer stands out as the thinker who contributed the most to society. He was the one to popularize the terms evolution and “survival of the fittest”. This has sometimes been mistaken as Darwin who was the one to explain and come up with natural selection. Both ideas were similar, as Spencer’s work was often overshadowed by Darwin’s because he lacked an effective theory of natural selection. Spencer was very popular during his lifetime, and even now, hundreds of years later. His works sold over a million copies when he was still alive. His ideas and theories found an audience in the working class filled with engineers, lawyers, physicists, and chemists. Spencer created the social Darwinist model and he went in detail with his theory of survival of the fittest. His ideas corresponded with not only human nature, in also was science. Survival of the fittest says that only the people who are most likely to succeed and extend their family line will live. All others will eventually die off. This important idea was learned by many, and so he was the one to connect science with the society.
Sigmund Freud was the 19th century figure who contributed most to thought in the new century. The main reason is that he helped create the basis for modern psychological thought. The thing that Freud did that made him so revolutionary was his focus on the unconcious mind. He said that people's brains are motivated by wants that they are often not even mindful of. He found that many of these desires, called the "id", were discouraged by the part of conciousness that regulated what was socially acceptable, the "superego". Furthermore, the "ego", the concious mind, is the part of the mind that regulates what is realistic. This theory of human conciousness revolutionized psychology and the rest of the world. It poured out into the art and literary world, and became a way to analyze works of art. He also made a science out of dream interpretation; seeing dreams not as communication with dieties or as a mumbo-jumbo mix of meaningless images, but as a window into the subconcious minds desires. Some of his theories are now considered to be void, but intellectual lightning struck nemerous times in Freud, as he helped create the modern study of psychology.
After reading about these individuals, and about the ideas they have presented, i feel that Sigmund Freud has contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach the new century. Even though many of Freud's theories and research methods have been controversial, and at times rejected completely, many psychotherapists still to this day follow Freud's approach to an extent. Just having finished psychology last semester, we are still being taught about Freud and his ideas today. Freud developed a theory of how the human mind is organized and operates internally, and a theory of how human behavior both conditions and results from this theoretical understanding. Along with the study of the unconscious mind came his analysis of dreams. He published the "Interpretation of Dreams" (1990). Another theory that Freud suggested is the id, ego, and superego. These are just a few of the theory's that Freud had come up with. Even though many of his ideas are out ruled now, many theory's today are built off his original ideas, just slightly changed. Without Freud's suggestions, psychology could have been very different then as we know it today.
After reading “Out With the Old” I feel that Kierkegaard had the most significant thought approaching the twentieth century. Kierkegaard was a very religious man and wanted to “pave” the way to Western Christianity by taking down European rational and philosophic tradition. He felt that the system that was in place was no good because it relied on abstract concepts. All this lead to what we know as existentialism. Kierkegaard also discussed how angst or anxiety was a condition of the human psyche shared by everyone. Kierkegaard says that though everyone experiences this feeling there is no way to fight against it. With all that said it is obvious that Soren Kierkegaard had the most significant thought approaching the twentieth century.
***I realize that I posted earlier about the faical hair question because is was an answer that struck me and held me in the mooment that I had to write down my thoughts.
I believe that the beliefs and philosophizing of Hertber Spencer were most significant with the approach of the new century. He is well-known for coining the term "survival of the fittest", often associated with Darwin, and "evolution" and applying such thoughts mainly to the social structure of society. Thus he created the theory of Social Darwinism. This belief that evolution occurs in a socitey when an individual canges and time progresses (resulting in diversity) and that some of the "species" will survive while others will die off until an "equilibrium" is achieved and no more change will be need for the time being was a progresssive idea when considering it in an ethical and moral light. Essential he believes that the universe was once a homogeneous blob (for loss of a better word) and is becoming more and more heterogeneous until this change will eventually halt. Many of these thoughts were first made public in his work "A System of Synthetic Philosophy" in which he brings together a multitude of data to create the pricnciples that govern his theory. Spencer was also a believer in individual liberties who thought that such freedoms were important and that they should only be restrained when it will benefit the preservation of those liberties. Seeing that he had such feelings at the daawn of a new era that contrasted with the more controlling atmosphere of the era he was leading ou tof, I believe, solidifies my claim that Spencer and his ideas, (which weren't all unheard of) were imporant upon the arrival of the Victorian Era. Now a days, one can see his theories in play no matter how subtely and witness their use in history. For example, American manifest destiny and European imperialism can be linked with Spencer's theories. Though it may not be blatently obvious, American's desire to expand its boundries and Europe's desire to control more trade and create more colonies (and turn a profit) wre largely more "successful" than not because they strongly believed they were superior and thus deserved to be the ruler. Today, this same principle can be seen in action when one observes kids playing on the playground or interacting in a classroom. Often times the kids how are more outgoing and active in such environments become the leaders of student government or clubs and play actives roles in the school community. Many times these children develope at least some feeling of being either more powerful or intellectually superior to their peers because they believe they are more "fit" to be on the top of the social ladder and thus all else must make way. (the same applies to those who are athletic or artistic). This is only one example of the many that occur in everyday life that reflect the saying "survival of the fittest" when dealing with success and acclaim.
Sigmund Freud had to catch my attention when reading "Out with the Old" out of all the other individuals. Freud was born in 1957 and as an unusual practice as a boy kept records of his dreams. He was basically the father of pyschology and his theories and approaches are still used and examined to this day. He was thought to be a genius but at the same time a rebel and going against what society viewed the mind and dreams as. During the time of WWII his books were on the list to be burned by the Nazis becuase they were thought to be corupt and not following Hitler's code. I especially thought Freud was an interesting thinker and philosopher because he saw cocaine as a form of medication that was highly beneficial to society. Other bviews he mentioned were that sex was at the root of neurotic behavior and that diseases could be caused by ideas. He just had so many unique beleives. He followed the unconscious and conscious thinking of humans. He came up with a "talking treatment" which eventually became the basis of all psychotherapy. By the way Sigmund Freud did not come close to fancy facial hair like some of the other guys.
Friedrich Nietzsche, named after Frederick I of Prussia, was the driving force behind the molding of a new century. He differed from all his predecessors, most prominently with his proclamation that "God is dead!" and touching upon subjects of Social Darwinism; that the combined artist-warrior will be the dominant walk of life. But contrasting to Darwin, who remained a devout Christian despite all his new discoveries and felt guilty about any possible cracks he had put in Christianity's seemingly irrefutable wall, Nietzsche was bereft of all this. Being the most blunt, caustic, and hard-swinging philosopher of the 20th century model. Because of Nietzsche's sister, a Hitler proponent, popularizing his works, a taboo was placed on his thinking. Hitler projected himself being the artist-warrior that Nietzsche prophesied (artist yes, and even a vegetarian, however only warriored when conscripted in the army), and ultimately replaced the name Zarathustra with Hitler. The irony of the situation that Nietzsche's sister created though is that Nietzsche would have hated the Nazi regime. Nietzsche's ideals also were the most moulding because they were the freshest of the 20th century thinkers. Before he, no Nihilists (impossible to call him Atheistic, for saying God is dead admits that there was a God, which would refute an Atheist label) had ever permeated pop culture so widely, and for so long. The Romantics, who could be compared to Nietzsche in their anarchistic views of the world, differ from he on the religious ground, though, because folk culture that was studied were all very pious. Piety was not tread lightly by neither folk culture nor Romantics. 'Twas pure unmitigated heresy to proclaim the death of God. Nietzsche remains a prominent figure even in today's culture. In the Sundance Film Festival, one winner, "Little Miss Sunshine," contained a main character who fully subscribed to Nietzsche's thinking, as well as having a charcoal sketch of his face and facial hair. ALSOOOOO Nietzsche's facial hair is the best of any others. Any particular irony/coincidence that his facial hair mirrors that of Bismarck's? Ho-ho says I, twirling a phantom squirrel's tail moustache.
In my opinion the man who contributed the most on this list is Herbert Spence. He took Darwin’s principles of natural selection and applied them to human society. This concept came to be known as “Social Darwinism”. This Social Darwinism was easily applied to the capitalistic business world. The companies who were most fit to survive would prosper while the less fit companies fell into obscurity. In a more general sense those more fit to make and handle money were wealthier. In reverse those who were living in poverty deserved to be there because they did not do the work, did not have the skills, or were not responsible enough to handle large quantities of money. Spencer was actually the one who coined the term “survival of the fittest”. Spencer also recognized that when a society starts out it is simple and as it grows the society becomes more complex. This individualistic and forward-thinking ideal fit perfectly with the social and political mood of the coming century, and helped people make the transition.
In my personal opinion, Sigmund Freud has the one-two punch. 1)For is impact on psychology and 2) His awesome facial hair.
After reading "Out With the Old", I feel that Sigmund Frued contributed the most the incoming century. Frued's somewhat unconventional and unheard of thoughts truly changed the course of the study of the mind. He is best known for the development of psychoanalysis, pyschosexual development, and unconscious repression. He also praised to drug cocaine as an excellent panacea.He could essentially be refereed to as the founder of psychology due to his break through and revolution of the study of the mind.
Despite some rather outlandish and peculiar claims and theories, Freud still drastically changed the idea of the human mind, and laid the building blocks of psychology for many years and decades to come.
In my opinion, Herbert Spencer was the most influential philosopher during the turn of the century. Spencer’s contribution to the intellectual society ranges from his development of evolutionary theory in reference of philosophy, and psychology to his defense of natural rights and criticism of utilitarian positivism. His ideas influenced many later historical figures including Andrew Carnegie, William Graham Sumner, and Robert Nozick. For example, one of the most significant philosophies that Spencer developed was his ideas on progress. In order to understand progress, Spencer answered the question, “what makes change in nature”, by referring to the investigations of Wolff, Goethe, and Van Baer. Through his investigation, he established that organic progress consists in a change from homogeneous (same), to heterogeneous (different). Everything in nature makes progress through the same steps. The evolution of differentiation from the simple into the complex is evident in the development of society, government, the human race, language, science, art, etc. Spencer also concluded that a second differentiation was occurring along with the first. This differentiation explains the reason as to why communities segregate into distinct classes and social orders. Spencer stated that although all communities start off the same (homogeneous), the environment developed around the location differs, thus leading to a more distinguished locality (heterogeneous). In connection with this theory, Herbert Spencer also coined the phrase, “survival of the fittest”. Spencer’s theory proposes an idea of natural selection. In this he hoped to explain that only the strong of society will advance while the weak will decline and soon die off. Although some of his ideas of evolution and progress rivaled those of Charles Darwin, their ideas did interrelate on this topic. Spencer’s phrase was later used by Darwin to describe his social Darwinism philosophy. Therefore, it is evident that Spencer’s contribution to the theories of society was great. His work influences people everyday whether it be in science, politics, or philosophy.
I think that the thoughts of Herbert Spencer were the most significant because I think that they have been able to leave a lasting impression on the world more so than the others. There isn’t a single person who has heard anything about biology without hearing the term “survival of the fittest”. This phrase used to describe how evolution can occur and how people today can win game shows was coined by Herbert Spencer in his Principles of Biology. The contributions of Spencer in that piece of work are still being considered today as a proper way to simply depict evolution and the process of natural selection. In addition to his work with evolution, Spencer was involved in sociology, synthetic philosophy, ethics, agnosticism, and politics. His contributions spanned across a wide variety of topics all him to make a more significant impact than others who focused on single ideas and were unable to expand them further. In these fields, he was able to contribute theories and ideas that have also left impacts. In social philosophy, he believed in the ultimate perfection of the human race through scientific principles that had already been established at the time. With that view, he had combined aspects of Deism, as well as Positivism. He also used synthetic philosophy in an attempt to take all scientific laws and combine them into one natural law that would exist without any exceptions.
Personally I give Huxley some bonus points for his facial hair. It’s completely ridiculous like the others, and yet I feel as though he could still eat without tasting it hours later unlike the others.
After reading the articles, I believe that Soren Kierkegaard contributed to the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century. His thoughts not only introduced a new way of thinking, but it also challenged Christianity. He wanted the whole religion of Christianity to change drastically so that the corruption would finally end. According to Kierkegaard, he thought that the only thing that the churches cared about was getting more numbers in their attendance, and not about the spiritual guidance that they were meant to provide. He thought that the church just wanted to gain more and more power, which he thought would lead to a core corrupt society. Some might that Kierkegaard wanted to abolish Christianity, but he just wanted to change some aspects of it.
Kierkegaard contributed the most significant thoughts as the new century approached because he was brave enough to challenge the Christian church. He didn’t care that his writings were controversial, he just wanted to let the people read the truth.
I believe that Soren Kierkegaard had the most significant ideas during this time. He rejected science and called for a revitalization of Western Christianity. He attempted to discredit the Church by pointing out phiosophical flaws, and encouraged one's own experiences. He differenciated between fear and angst: fear has an object, and could go away if the feared object is removed or destroyed. Angst cannot be removed, because people will always be afraid. He also believed in the subjective truth, as opposed to objective truth. He believed that one's own experiences (subjective) were more important than science (objective). Kierkegaard also has the best hair
48 comments:
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche has by far the coolest and most interesting mustache I've ever seen. It's very bushy and you can't really see his mouth anymore, making it kind of humorous. :)
Kierkegaard was an interesting thinker, as most thinkers and philosophers are. However, Kierkegaard stands out amongst thinkers as the founder of existentialism, the branch of philosophy that deals with the question ‘How can one be true to oneself?’ Kierkegaard rejected sciences and thoughts that relied on abstract concepts such as real life (because reality is obviously really abstract); he saw those as incomprehensible using abstract categories. Kierkegaard was the first writer to discuss angst as a state of being, and defined it as different from fear. I enjoyed reading this definition and distinction because psychology fascinates me. Angst is like fear, however fear always has an object. Angst does not; the person feeling angst is simply frightened. Angst is something felt by everyone and Kierkegaard helped shed light on this fact that thousands of psychologists have studied and understood and diagnosed. Without Kierkegaard, none of that would have been possible.
Kierkegaard also challenged Hegel’s idea of the dialectic, arguing that the divine aspect of Hegel’s work was immaterial because it did not deal with the position of ordinary existing individuals. Kierkegaard built off of his work on angst and argued that the view of the divine made no difference to him, as he was stuck down on Earth and feeling very angsty and lonely and isolated. Kierkegaard also challenged corruption in the church. Though religious himself, he attacked the union of church and state as being bad for individuals. Interestingly enough, thinkers such as Nietzsche would take his arguments and use them to attack the church in their own way.
Bonus: (best to worst) Nietzsche, Huxley, Spencer, Dostoyevsky, Darwin
After the readings, I believe that Soren Kierkegaard contributed to the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century.
His thoughts introduced a new way of thinking during this era. He challenged Christianity and religion, wanting to change them. For centuries, corruption has occurred in religion. He thought that the Church only cared about getting more members to attend, which meant more power the clergy men had over people, a corrupt ideal to him. He believed that the Church didn't care about their followers, it just wanted more power. This contradicted the Church's doctrine, which Kierkgaard believed should be a stress on the importance of the individual, not the whole. For Kierkegaard to challenge religion is very courageous. He didn't want to abolish religion or Christianity, he wanted to change different aspects of it.
Kierkegaard also was the one who first discussed angst which is dread and anxiety. All people experience this because everyone is fearful of something. His philosophy dealt a lot with the issues of how one lives, and concentrating on the importance of personal choice and commitment. He thought self- reflection was important.
Kierkegaard contributed the most significant thoughts as the new century approached because he really stressed people being powerful and challenging the Church. He wanted people to have confidence to change the evils of society. Even though what he wrote about religion and the Church was risky and controversial, it was true. Normal people may have agreed with him, but didn't have the courage to voice their opinions, good thing Kierkegaard was confident enough to.
I think that Sigmund Freud contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century because his ideas have withstood the test of time and are still well-known today.
This Viennese psychoanalyst had very interesting ideas about the inner workings of the mind, which "undermined optimism about the rational nature of the human mind". A major work of his was The Interpretation of Dreams, published in 1900. This was filled with what came to be known as psychoanalysis. Some of his theories were groundbreaking. For example, his thoughts about the id (the unconscious drive for pleasure), the ego (the reasonable, real part), and the superego (the conscience and values of society) were very new to people. He also said that repression was crucial to his theories, because everyone was repressed in one way or another and had a great effect on that person.
Although many of Freud's theories are outdated and have been disproved, they have had a great impact - an entire way of thinking had emerged based on his ideas.
AnnMarie Augusto
Mr. Kirby
AP European History
7 March 2010
Herbert Spencer was an idealist in an era of industrialism and political growth. Spencer made several contributions as a philosopher and sociologist with his theory of evolution. Although his reputation opposed that of Charles Darwin, Spencer’s in-depth study of society led to what he called “synthetic philosophy.” He believed with an optimistic approach that evolution was synonymous with progress. His work significantly influenced late nineteenth century developments in biology, psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Spencer was the first to avow that human society may be studied methodically doing so from an evolutionary stance based on the assumption that human behavior was socially determined. He coined the phrase “survival of the fittest” and had elucidated his belief that social organizations arose out of social functions in his famous work, Principles of Sociology from 1876-1896. Through his scientific and empirical methods, Spencer was able to effectively argue that there was a gradual specialization amongst things towards self-sufficiency and individuation starting with biological organisms. Spencer believed that ‘human nature’ was “the aggregate of men’s instincts and sentiments” that would soon become accustomed to social survival. He made citizens of society question the pursuit of self-interest that many seemed to employ. Spencer suggested that people would not conflict with one another because it would be a waste of their time as ‘rational egoists.’ At first, many people during Spencer’s time thought his ideals were obscure and overly conceptual, but as they were more readily accepted they were seen to be clear and concrete. Spencer was an important figure as we approached the twentieth century due to his encouragement for people to try to think of society and culture as belonging to the natural world.
I believe that Herbert Spencer contributed the most influential ideas before the new century due to the many areas that he impacted. The combination of Spencer and Darwin’s ideas developed into Social Darwinism and the concept of “survival of the fittest”. Spencer felt that societies developed over time through struggles with their environment and that the government should not interfere. This created a new way of thinking in which society was like an organism that was connected to the natural world. The lack of government intervention also brought up his idea of individual freedom instead of cooperation. Spencer felt that society’s evolution would increase the freedom of individuals instead of creating cooperative communities. “Survival of the fittest” called for the advancement of the strong while the weak would decline. This meant that not only would superior races or classes grow as society evolved but they would at the expense of the inferior. This led people to believe in severe racism and nationalism in some radical cases. Herbert Spencer influenced so many areas of thought with his new views of society that he had the most significant thoughts as we neared the new century by bringing in the new and taking out the old.
Although many of Freud’s psychiatric treatment methods proved ineffective, he is still the most significant thinker on the list. Freud revolutionized the way scientists look at the human mind and laid the foundation for modern psychology. Freud was the first to believe that many human problems and neuroses stem from traumatic childhood experiences, which is considered common knowledge today. Freud was also the first to believe that the human brain is capable of storing emotions and memories without the individual’s knowledge. This, Freud called the “third great humiliation of human history,” the revelation that we are not entirely in control of our own minds.
Freud’s studies focused on the interpretation of dreams and provided the first scientific examination of them. In ages past dreams were often thought to be messages from divine entities or, drawing closer to Freud’s time, meaningless mental jumbles of images and sounds. Freud’s studies revealed that although dreams were not inspired by God, they did indeed have meaning. Dreams reflected people’s wishes and desires. Usually dreams fulfilled the wishes of the dreamer, often without the dreamer realizing it. This showcases the brain’s ability to work without its owner’s consent, as dreams are formed to match wishes that the owner did not even realize that (s)he had.
Modern psychology is built on Freud’s studies. Without Freud’s realization that humans are not in control of their own minds, the field could never have emerged. Although Freud himself was never adept at treating psychological disorders, his work paved the way for other psychologists who would develop far more useful methods of treatment.
After reading about several of the individuals who contributed their ideas at the start of the new century, I believe Herbert Spencer contributed the most. Not only did he contribute to ethics, but also religion, economics, anthropology, political theory, and many more. First of all, his concept of evolution applied to the development of anything and everything. According to Spencer, the process of continuous differentiation is the law of all progress. In other words, all things start out in their simplest forms and continue to change until they have reached a level of complexity. Furthermore, he went on to explain in detail the previous concept of “survival of the fittest.” Although this idea came from the works of Charles Darwin, Spencer was successful in extending the theory into a far broader means of society. This concept, which depicted a constant struggle amongst species, explained why certain individuals survived and multiplied while others unfortunately lost the fight. Nonetheless, Spencer was able to apply this theory to several branches of knowledge.
In addition, Spencer advocated a society evolving toward an increasing freedom for individuals. In doing so, our society required minimal government intervention. Going into a brand new century, this ideology was perfect for setting the tone at a new way of life. Previously, government had almost total control of its people and set several strict laws that were far from optional. Fortunately, Spencer felt the need to make some adjustments, and having the high status that he did, he was able to influence a great change. As a result, despite the significant concepts and ideas brought forth at this time, I truly believe Herbert Spencer was the most noteworthy.
I feel that Sigmund Freud contributed the most significant thoughts as the new century approaches. Freud's new ideas about dreams have paved the way for modern psychology.
Freud, who believed that two of the three greatest humiliations in our history have been the discovery that we are not at the center of the universe and the discovery that we are not automatically the best of creation, said he believed that we are not in control of our own minds. This may sound frightening, but Freud reasoned that we can use our minds (or most specifically our dreams) to "discover" our hidden emotions, so that even if we don't have control over our mind there may be a way to better understand it.
Freud’s work is perhaps the most important for modern psychology. It has lead to new ideas about dreams and understanding human emotions. Without his ideas we might still view our dreams as “divine portents or as the bizarre side-effects of indigestion” as our ancestors before Freud did. As Freud himself said: "Insight such as this falls to one's lot but once in a lifetime."
And I think Nietzsche has the best mustache.
The English sociologist, Herbert Spencer became one of the most influential figures of his time by applying Charles Darwin’s scientific discoveries to human society better known as Social Darwinism. Darwin wrote the book Origin of Species that described how plants and animals were in a constant struggle for existence in which the “fittest” survived and were the one’s who would remain in society today. Herbert Spencer applied these ideas of “natural selection” to life in Europe with things such as companies. He believed that the “fittest” companies would flourish and be successful in their earnings while the weaker companies would fail and eventually go out of business. He also believed in the freedom of the individual and that government should be minimal in social and economical life. He was influential in that people would use the idea of “survival of the fittest” in everyday society. For example the wealthy classes used his theory to confirm their superiority over the lower classes and a similar excuse also became popular among nations to rationalize their quest to conquer other nations that were weaker than they were. This led to imperialism and racism during the next couple of decades which shows just how much Spencer influenced European society.
During the second half of the nineteenth century, Europe witnessed numerous technological advancements, a revolution in literature and the arts, and the rise of a new group of intellectuals. The most influential intellectual of this era (in my opinion) was Charles Darwin.
Darwin put forth novel ideas in his On the Origin of Species—in which, he stated that “many more individuals of each species are born that can possibly survive.” In his later work, The Descent of Man, Darwin again shocked the world by arguing that “man [wa]s the co-descendant with other mammals of a common progenitor.” Darwin’s theory changed many people’s attitudes toward religion and science. Some people readily accepted his ideas while others refused to believe that the human race was not superior to other animals. For those who believed in reason and science, Darwin’s theory perfectly explained the natural world. Some Darwin enthusiasts even tried to apply his theory to society.
An example of such individual was Herbert Spencer. According to Spencer, societies evolved through time from fierce struggles with their environment. Progress was made by the “fittest” ones. Similar to nature, the state should not interfere with this natural process. In other words, while the superior individuals gain more power (whether it be fiscal or political), individuals who are at the bottom of the society would suffer. Spencer therefore, suggests that the decline of the weak was perfectly reasonable because of natural selection.
Darwin’s theory was also applied to the society by nationalists and racists. For these rabid nationalists, all nations were in conflict—a struggle that was similar to a “struggle for existence.” Also, nationalism was often accompanied by colonialism. Imperialists often happily used Darwinism to justify their causes. In addition, racism was revived based on these new ideas. For instance, Houston Steward Chamberlain propagated that all Germans were descendants of the Aryan race, and their supreme heritage shall be protected from lower races such as Jews, Africans, and Asians.
Darwin had impacts on other areas as well. He alone, led the benighted people onto a new path.
Of these individuals, Soren Kierkegaard contributed the most significant thoughts. He wanted to renew Western Christianity by attacking the European rational and philosophic tradition. He also hoped to make the church more passionate and subjective. However, some of the concepts that Kierkegaard rose were actually used to question the existence of religion altogether. An example is the way of thinking, called existentialism, which he introduced.
Kierkegaard also was the first to introduce angst. Angst is very similar to fear, but has a few differences. Fear, unlike angst, always has an object. Fear also can potentially go away; if the feared object is destroyed it is no longer feared. Angst will never go away because people are just frightened.
Kierkegaard was one of the first to stress subjective truth over objective truth. This means that he felt that truth was only based on one’s own personal experiences; things like science had no truth in them. An example is the concept of freedom. Freedom does not exist in the real world it is rather a state of mind. If someone believes he is free, then he truly is. Kierkegaard also had the best facial hair so he basically dominates his fellow philosophers.
I believe that Kierkegaard contributed the most significant thoughts. He attacked systematic philosophy such as science because it relied on abstract concepts. He attempted to revive Western Christianity by criticizing the European rational and philosophic tradition. Ironically, his reasoning led to the introduction of existentialism, which would use the same reasoning he used to attack rational and philosophic tradition to attack religion.
He also came up with the idea of angst, or dread and anxiety, and was careful to differentiate it from fear. Fear always has an object- removing the object can remove fear, but angst cannot be removed by removing an object, for it does not stem from the fear of an object - rather, the person feeling angst is scared. This discovery led to research in that field.
He also differentiated between subjective truth and objective truth. He emphasized the former. He believed that the only truth is one's own individual,psychological experience. Therefore, something such as freedom is not a tangible thing, but rather a state of mind.
Overall, he was the most significant figure of the list.
I believe Sigmund Freud has contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century. His ideas revolutionized the way conventional scientists looked at the human mind. He also laid the foundation to what is now known as modern psychology.
Freud is best known for the development of psychoanalysis and for his theories of the unconscious mind and the defense mechanism of repression. In addition, he established the clinical practice of psychoanalysis for treating psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. He is renowned for his redefinition of sexual desire as the primary motivational energy of human life, as well as his therapeutic techniques, including the use of free association, his theory of transference in the therapeutic relationship, and the interpretation of dreams as sources of insight into unconscious desires. One of his famous works was The Interpretation of Dreams in which he proposed that the unconscious exists and described a method for gaining access to it. Also the preconscious was described as a layer between conscious and unconscious thought. Therefore, its contents could be accessed with a little effort. He also concluded that humans struggle with the complex aspects of their minds. For instance, id stood for our desire for pleasure and to avoid pain or better known as the pleasure principle. Ego represented the seat of reason. This is where people realize they must use self-control to live in a society or better known as the reality principle. Lastly, there is the superego, which portrays the moral values of society. These are imposed by society in general and parents in particular.
Therefore Freud greatly impacted the world of psychology. However some of his ideas may have not been successful and outdated his ideas have been prevalent and have paved the way for an entire different way of thinking which has greatly contributed to modern psychology.
While he can’t compete with Nietzsche’s ‘stache, I have to say Darwin contributed the most significant ideas from this category of intellectuals. Darwin’s theories on biology were actually correct unlike many of his contemporaries whose work is still disputed. Darwin used simple observation and logic to explain processes that weren’t even entirely considered at the time. Natural selection and evolution were hardly taken into account by many by the time Darwin found a full understanding of the processes. Darwin’s work is among the greatest of all scientific finds although it also expanded to sociology as well. Darwin’s ideas can be applied to nature as well as social psychology and religion. I’m surprised that this isn’t as popular of an answer as some of the others since Darwin’s unquestionable significance has turned him and the terms used to summarize his work into household names. Darwin has become a symbol for science and logic since he brought the idea of natural selection to the attention of the public.
And of course, most importantly, Darwin’s theories paved the way for Bobby Henderson’s most influential work. It’s a shame that Darwin was seriously lacking in the facial hair department.
Although many others contributed to significant thoughts and ideas as Europe approached the new century, it is my opinion that Darwin's were the most significant.
Darwin's ideas were looked at in several different ways, stretching out over several categories, making it influential not only to scientists.
Firstly, Darwin changed how we look at nature, animals, and ourselves. Although his ideas were not immediately accepted, Darwin's thoughts helped us better understand our world. By giving a scientific explanation for something most people had perceived as God's work, Darwin paved a path for future scientific discoveries and a whole new era for society, the scientific era.
In addition, Darwin's theories of evolution were applied to other areas of society. For example, Herbert Spencer used these ideas to develop the concept of Social Darwinism. This idea grew off of Darwin's theory of "survival of the fittest", saying that the wealthy were at the top of society because they were biologically fit to be.
Another application of Darwin's ideas was racism. By also using the concept of "survival of the fittest", people began to justify their racism by claiming some races were more superior than others because their biological makeup made them so.
To conclude, in my opinion Darwin is the most influential man leading the 19th century because he not only helped pave the path for the Scientific Revolution, but his ideas also affected society in several other different categories.
It is also my opinion that Dostoevsky has the best facial hair. I mean come on, he looks like Davy Jones.
I believe that Herbert Spencer contributed the most as the new century progressed. Herbert Spencer is the "father of Social Darwinism" and was the main man behind its logic. He was able to take Charles Darwins theory's and apply to human life and the evolution of man. Herbert Spencer took Charles Darwins theory of survival of the fittest and applied it to the psychology of man kind, "social thought". Herbert Spencer explains how man moves from Homogeneous to Heterogeneous over time. Herbert spencer also talks about how even though divisons of labor between the different ranked working class have progressed, there is no division between the labor among the nation. the nation was considered to be homogeneous.
Herbert Spencer was very important because he was able to take science and include it into the way of life. it gave people a different outlook on a lot of things and improved the minds of others.
After reading several works from key philosophers, I found that Herbert Spencer was the most influential. Spencer made key observations about evolution and the connections with society. Spencer spead the idea of survival of the fittest which expanded to many areas of life. Survival of the Fittest concluded that the strongest will survive while the weakest will die out, leaving the population with only the stong ones. This elimination of weaker individual's will cause the society as a whole to strengthen. This idea grew to influence a variety of groups which took the philosphy to the extremes. Racism branced from this idea and people began isolating the races they found inferior and weak. His idea can be connected to the Halocaust which has become an enormous event in our history. Although Spencer's idea led to racism and other negatives it was still extremely influential.
Spencer's idea also connected nature and evolution to the current society. Spencer observed that a society starts simple then grows to become complex, leading him to believe less government would be better to let a society grow. This idea's influence can be found in a variety of philosophes. Many politcal groups believe that less government would be best and they're reasons can be connected to Spencer's ideas. Spencer also brought more thought to the idea of evolution. This would influence many bological studies that search for our history. Spencer's thoughts can be found today with the idea of evolution. Today there are theories that humans decend from mammals, such as apes. This thought has a strong connection to Spencer's ideas about evolution.
Spencer's theories could be seen in business and individuals. The larger more successful businesses would thrive while the smaller struggeling businesses would go under. This idea can still be seen today while the larger complanies dominate much of the business world. As you can see, Spencer's ideas could connect to a variety of areas and still be seen today. This is why I believe his ideas were the most influential.
I believe nietzsche has the best facial hair. It reminds me of a walrus. Henry was a close runner up though.
Out of the list of thinkers presented, I feel that Herbert Spencer contributed the most significant thoughts of the twentieth century. His theory of the “survival of the fittest” was used by factory owners around the world for decades to justify their awful treatment of the workers they barely provided for. Thus, indirectly, millions of workers were adversely affected by Spencer’s theories, as their plight was considered justified by social scientists and politicians of the time. Even in modern times, one hears arguments against social security that are eerily Spencian: “They just don’t have a job because they are too lazy to find one!” is a retort that I hear all too often. He also redefined the meaning of progress, asserting that previous definitions only took into account the result of progress and not the process itself. Spencer said that progress was “the produce of a greater quantity and variety of articles for the satisfaction of men's wants” among other things, such as an increase in individual freedom. He said that an increase in individual freedom, and, in general, progress, would “directly or indirectly tend to human happiness.” This focus on individual freedom, influenced by classical liberalism, can be seen in political parties today, particularly the Republican Party. I also found the application of his idea that all evolution moves from simple to complex to science interesting: first, science was intertwined with religion; then it was wedded to art; and finally, it became an organism all on its own.
By the way, Nietzsche’s mustache simply blows everyone else’s facial hair away. No contest.
Throughout the eighteenth century there were tons of great thinkers all of who influenced not only their time period but left lasting impressions our society today. Of these great philosophers, scientists, and writers the most important I would say is Louis Pasteur.
While he did not make contributions in the terms of new sociological or economic ideas but in scientific areas especially those of medicine. Pasteur invented new cures and prevention for diseases as well as developing the modern germ theory of diseases. He put great focus on developing vaccines and greatly furthered this area of study such as creating the first one for rabies, smallpox, and anthrax. It was also from Pasteur that the idea of pasteurization was founded as he developed methods for pasteurizing milk and wine. His significant contributions not only helped to increase healthcare the 18th century, but he helped to expand the basis for modern medicine and further research in this field. Not only did he help save countless lives, but the area of medicine would not be the same without him.
While all of the thinkers of the time are important Pasteur is the most significant because his ideas were implemented in everyday life. Instead of just thinking about the world he made changes to and helped immeasurable numbers of people, and through his work changed the world in a drastic way.
With Europe entering the 20th Century the philosopher/thinker who molded the way in which society behaved was Herbert Spencer. He was able to take the theory proposed by Charles Darwin and apply it to society which we now think of as social Darwinism. His application did not revolutionize how society worked but gave people a perspective that made sense to them as to how to view how people got ahead in life and why people did not get ahead. This thought process was extremely influential in how people viewed each other. This gave people a work hard mentality so they could be strong but gave those who had the money and power an excuse to not help the less fortunate widening the social divide and cutting the already scant welfare institutions.
I believe Herbert Spencer has contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century. He is most well known for his theory of evolution and natural selection, as well as his establishment of Social Darwinism. Herbert Spencer was able to take Charles Darwin’s theories and apply/spread them to ideas such as adaptation and “survival of the fittest”. Although Charles Darwin published his book “The Origin of Species” in 1859, Herbert Spencer had been thinking about the ideas of evolution and progress ahead of Darwin. His idea of “survival of the fittest” is apparent through industrial, capitalist, and many other areas. His “survival of the fittest” represented that the wealthy, who were the fittest in his mind, were rich due to evolutionary improvement. In that, he illustrated a constant struggle amongst species, explicated why certain individuals survived and multiplied, deeming higher evolved people to be the most fit for society, while others unluckily lost the struggle and were less socially developed. He also believed society was developing toward escalating freedom for individuals and that government should not interfere. It created a way of thought process that the societies like organisms that was connected and changed in accordance to the environment. So I feel Herbert Spencer was most momentous. Not only has he impacted the society worldwide, but his ideas are still well known today.
I find that Charles Darwin has had the most profound influence on Europe during the time period that we are studying and into the present day. By attributing the progression of the natural world to science rather than god, Darwin revolutionized Europe’s knowledge of both nature and humanity itself.
Of course, Darwin’s philosophies weren’t always interpreted in the way that they were meant to. “Survival of the Fittest” was used to rationalize the success of a minority percentage of society at the expense of the destitute masses. The assumption that evolution applied to the social aspects of a society as opposed to its biological development led to mistreatment of minority groups throughout Europe.
Darwin’s philosophies, however, when applied to biological understanding of our world, were an enormous step towards better understanding of the world. He essentially catalyzed the flood of understanding that was continued by other scientists that continues today.
Oh, and I’m a fan of Nietzsche's facial hair. In the picture it looks like he has a mohawk too.
In my opinion Herbert Spencer contributed the most significant thoughts as we approached the new century. As a polymath Spencer made contributions in fields such as biology, ethics, sociology, psychology, etc. Spencer took many of Darwin's ideas on evolution and expanded them as to explain the physical progression of the biological world. He is responsible for developing the theory of " survival of the fittest." Many of his theories contested the generally accepted doctrine based beliefs of society. As a result, these theories were groundbreaking and paved the way for a new line of thinking outside of religious belief. Spencer's development of a synthetic philosophy to replace that of the crumbling orthodox philosophies was a very significant facet in the advancement of modern science over religion. Spencer also created the Social Darwinist by taking the ideas of "survival of the fittest" and applying them to mankind. This is why I believe his contributions to be most significant.
Nietzsche, no contest.
Søren Kierkegaard in my opinion contributed the most significant thoughts of the new century. By introducing new ways of thinking to the people of Western Europe, Kierkegaard stirred up all the normal thoughts and ideologies of the time. He questioned the validity of the churches teachings, and the science of the time. He believed that these institutions were only based on abstract thought, which Kierkegaard thought couldn’t adequately explain human life and existence.
He was the first to introduce and discuss angst as a crucial piece of the human psyche. He discussed how angst was a fear of no tangible object, making it something that every human being shares but that none can combat against. This introduction of a new human condition turned the thinking of the new century on its head. Soren Kierkegaard introduced the most revolutionary and significant and original thoughts of the new century in Western Europe.
P.S. Not only does Nietzsche, obviously keep his mustache well trimmed, but he also has the fortitude to rock the fo-hawk. If only he was around for Jersey Shore.
The 18th century included many great thinkers who had great impact on their time period, and even in our society today. Out of the thinkers from the list given, the person who I feel who contributed most significantly to the century was Herbert Spencer. Spencer further developed Darwin’s ideas into his own original theories concerning the social aspect of society. Spencer believed that through their own obstacles and interacting with their own environment that societies prospered, and thus no government should interfere. Furthermore, no government interference emphasized ideas of individual freedom, and therefore Spencer believed that through evolution, society would increase the freedom of individuals over time. Coining the term “survival of the fittest,” Spencer theorized that the strongest individuals would advance in society while the weak would decline, resulting in the success of the superiors of society. It is also important to consider that Spencer’s theory was actively used in the 18th century, a way to justify the cruel treatment of employees and the wealth of the small upper class. The fact that Spencer’s thoughts impacted thousands of employees obviously makes his theories a significant contribution.
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche for the awesome facial hair because its hard to eat properly with that much of a facial hair
Søren Kierkegaard was the mot significant as he paved the way toward a new Christianity. He wanted everyone to think about religious rationally which is still followed today. Kierkegaard was the first of the philosophers to make people think everything rationally. Still today we follow his ideas before doing anything. He not only attacked the branches of Christianity but gave people a new way to think and see things. His philosophy all together is interesting and is followed directly by today’s generation unlike all the ideas of the philosophers. He was the first to discuss the idea of anxiety and dread which happens because all human beings fear something in their life. His philosophy wanted people to think of their lives rationally and also explained why anxiety and fear happens. His ideas did not want abolish the existence of Christianity but to change it and destruct only the evils of society and religion Therefore, in my opinion Kierkegaard was the most significant among the out with the old thinkers as we approach a new century.
Søren Kierkegaard was the mot significant as he paved the way toward a new Christianity. He wanted everyone to think about religious rationally which is still followed today. Kierkegaard was the first of the philosophers to make people think everything rationally. Still today we follow his ideas before doing anything. He not only attacked the branches of Christianity but gave people a new way to think and see things. His philosophy all together is interesting and is followed directly by today’s generation unlike all the ideas of the philosophers. He was the first to discuss the idea of anxiety and dread which happens because all human beings fear something in their life. His philosophy wanted people to think of their lives rationally and also explained why anxiety and fear happens. His ideas did not want abolish the existence of Christianity but to change it and destruct only the evils of society and religion Therefore, in my opinion Kierkegaard was the most significant among the out with the old thinkers as we approach a new century.
In my opinion, I think that Søren Kierkegaard was the contributed the most and was the most interesting figure. I think that his reasoning behind the difference between fear and angst was very interesting. Kierkegaard stated that human angst never goes away because there is no objective while fear always has an objective. I think he contributed to a lot of the daily and more common aspects of psychology because fear and angst are something that people deal with everyday. I also think that he's interesting because it said that he criticizes the sciences and then later in his life thinks that they are the only thing that are true because they have an objective. I think he lastly contributed in defining values such as freedom, liberty, etc. as states of the mind. He made those concepts more abstract which is how we view them today.
As for the beard, I think that Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche has the best facial hair. My only question is how does he get it to grow like that and how long did it take to grow it????
Herbert Spencer contributed the most to 20th century thinking, integrating the 19th century scientific principles of natural selection and evolution with the new social order created by his then-contemporary Industrial Revolution.
Spencer's ideas of Social Darwinism integrated the work of previous thinkers like Wolff, Goethe, and Van Baer (as referenced in his "Progress: Its Law and Cause") into contemporary thinkers' ideas. By defining the progress of society as caused by the "survival of the fittest", he brought forth an impetus, or at least a justification, for the Age of Imperialism by major colonial powers.
"Survival of the fittest" also applied to the newly-industrialized powers in Europe. The principle supported a laissez-faire, capitalist economy, as thinkers such as Adam Smmith advocated, which encouraged individual investment of capital by the wealthy. Along with imperialism, this stimulated the strengthening of the more industrialized nations in Western Europe, and played a key role in the way our map has been drawn today.
Spencer's ideas reach us even today, when modern conservatives call on the laissez-faire / "survival of the fittest" policies to justify their calls for loosened regulation of the economy.
(Also, Dostoevsky may look like Davy Jones, but that beard just can't compete with Nietzsche's 'stache. You just don't see anything like that anymore...)
I feel that of all the significant figures associated with social thought, Soren
Kierkegaard has contributed not only the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century, but the most original thoughts as well. After reading about Kierkegaard’s philosophy and his ideals regarding such topics as religion, angst, and truth, I can say that his beliefs intrigued me the most when compared with the other significant figures. I found it interesting how he rejected systematic philosophy because it was too much of a subjective approach to view life in his opinion. One of his theories that stems from this approach that many are now familiar with today, is the idea of angst. His theory stated that fear and angst are very similar but share one slight nuance. When an individual has fear, it is triggered by an object; therefore it is possible for them to rid themselves of this dismay. Angst on the other hand does not have a specific trigger and is not caused by a specific object, therefore making it impossible for one to get rid of.
In fewer words, he preferred viewing the world through a more objective method and his new way of thinking, existentialism, even went so far as to question the existence of religion. This is the foremost reason why I enjoyed reading about Kierkegaard; because he wasn’t afraid to voice his true values regardless of the ridicule he may have later received. I also found his philosophy to be sensible. His way of thinking in my opinion is easy to comprehend but at the same time, is well thought out and extremely fascinating. Overall, I feel that Soren Kierkegaard has definitely contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century, and many of his ideals remain in existence today.
Although there were many influential figures during this century, Herbert Spencer stands out as the thinker who contributed the most to society. He was the one to popularize the terms evolution and “survival of the fittest”. This has sometimes been mistaken as Darwin who was the one to explain and come up with natural selection. Both ideas were similar, as Spencer’s work was often overshadowed by Darwin’s because he lacked an effective theory of natural selection. Spencer was very popular during his lifetime, and even now, hundreds of years later. His works sold over a million copies when he was still alive. His ideas and theories found an audience in the working class filled with engineers, lawyers, physicists, and chemists.
Spencer created the social Darwinist model and he went in detail with his theory of survival of the fittest. His ideas corresponded with not only human nature, in also was science. Survival of the fittest says that only the people who are most likely to succeed and extend their family line will live. All others will eventually die off. This important idea was learned by many, and so he was the one to connect science with the society.
Sigmund Freud was the 19th century figure who contributed most to thought in the new century. The main reason is that he helped create the basis for modern psychological thought.
The thing that Freud did that made him so revolutionary was his focus on the unconcious mind. He said that people's brains are motivated by wants that they are often not even mindful of. He found that many of these desires, called the "id", were discouraged by the part of conciousness that regulated what was socially acceptable, the "superego". Furthermore, the "ego", the concious mind, is the part of the mind that regulates what is realistic. This theory of human conciousness revolutionized psychology and the rest of the world. It poured out into the art and literary world, and became a way to analyze works of art. He also made a science out of dream interpretation; seeing dreams not as communication with dieties or as a mumbo-jumbo mix of meaningless images, but as a window into the subconcious minds desires. Some of his theories are now considered to be void, but intellectual lightning struck nemerous times in Freud, as he helped create the modern study of psychology.
After reading about these individuals, and about the ideas they have presented, i feel that Sigmund Freud has contributed the most significant thoughts as we approach the new century. Even though many of Freud's theories and research methods have been controversial, and at times rejected completely, many psychotherapists still to this day follow Freud's approach to an extent. Just having finished psychology last semester, we are still being taught about Freud and his ideas today.
Freud developed a theory of how the human mind is organized and operates internally, and a theory of how human behavior both conditions and results from this theoretical understanding. Along with the study of the unconscious mind came his analysis of dreams. He published the "Interpretation of Dreams" (1990). Another theory that Freud suggested is the id, ego, and superego.
These are just a few of the theory's that Freud had come up with. Even though many of his ideas are out ruled now, many theory's today are built off his original ideas, just slightly changed. Without Freud's suggestions, psychology could have been very different then as we know it today.
After reading “Out With the Old” I feel that Kierkegaard had the most significant thought approaching the twentieth century. Kierkegaard was a very religious man and wanted to “pave” the way to Western Christianity by taking down European rational and philosophic tradition. He felt that the system that was in place was no good because it relied on abstract concepts. All this lead to what we know as existentialism.
Kierkegaard also discussed how angst or anxiety was a condition of the human psyche shared by everyone. Kierkegaard says that though everyone experiences this feeling there is no way to fight against it. With all that said it is obvious that Soren Kierkegaard had the most significant thought approaching the twentieth century.
***I realize that I posted earlier about the faical hair question because is was an answer that struck me and held me in the mooment that I had to write down my thoughts.
I believe that the beliefs and philosophizing of Hertber Spencer were most significant with the approach of the new century. He is well-known for coining the term "survival of the fittest", often associated with Darwin, and "evolution" and applying such thoughts mainly to the social structure of society. Thus he created the theory of Social Darwinism. This belief that evolution occurs in a socitey when an individual canges and time progresses (resulting in diversity) and that some of the "species" will survive while others will die off until an "equilibrium" is achieved and no more change will be need for the time being was a progresssive idea when considering it in an ethical and moral light. Essential he believes that the universe was once a homogeneous blob (for loss of a better word) and is becoming more and more heterogeneous until this change will eventually halt. Many of these thoughts were first made public in his work "A System of Synthetic Philosophy" in which he brings together a multitude of data to create the pricnciples that govern his theory.
Spencer was also a believer in individual liberties who thought that such freedoms were important and that they should only be restrained when it will benefit the preservation of those liberties. Seeing that he had such feelings at the daawn of a new era that contrasted with the more controlling atmosphere of the era he was leading ou tof, I believe, solidifies my claim that Spencer and his ideas, (which weren't all unheard of) were imporant upon the arrival of the Victorian Era.
Now a days, one can see his theories in play no matter how subtely and witness their use in history. For example, American manifest destiny and European imperialism can be linked with Spencer's theories. Though it may not be blatently obvious, American's desire to expand its boundries and Europe's desire to control more trade and create more colonies (and turn a profit) wre largely more "successful" than not because they strongly believed they were superior and thus deserved to be the ruler. Today, this same principle can be seen in action when one observes kids playing on the playground or interacting in a classroom. Often times the kids how are more outgoing and active in such environments become the leaders of student government or clubs and play actives roles in the school community. Many times these children develope at least some feeling of being either more powerful or intellectually superior to their peers because they believe they are more "fit" to be on the top of the social ladder and thus all else must make way. (the same applies to those who are athletic or artistic). This is only one example of the many that occur in everyday life that reflect the saying "survival of the fittest" when dealing with success and acclaim.
Sigmund Freud had to catch my attention when reading "Out with the Old" out of all the other individuals. Freud was born in 1957 and as an unusual practice as a boy kept records of his dreams. He was basically the father of pyschology and his theories and approaches are still used and examined to this day. He was thought to be a genius but at the same time a rebel and going against what society viewed the mind and dreams as. During the time of WWII his books were on the list to be burned by the Nazis becuase they were thought to be corupt and not following Hitler's code. I especially thought Freud was an interesting thinker and philosopher because he saw cocaine as a form of medication that was highly beneficial to society. Other bviews he mentioned were that sex was at the root of neurotic behavior and that diseases could be caused by ideas. He just had so many unique beleives. He followed the unconscious and conscious thinking of humans. He came up with a "talking treatment" which eventually became the basis of all psychotherapy. By the way Sigmund Freud did not come close to fancy facial hair like some of the other guys.
Rico Saccoccio
Friedrich Nietzsche, named after Frederick I of Prussia, was the driving force behind the molding of a new century. He differed from all his predecessors, most prominently with his proclamation that "God is dead!" and touching upon subjects of Social Darwinism; that the combined artist-warrior will be the dominant walk of life. But contrasting to Darwin, who remained a devout Christian despite all his new discoveries and felt guilty about any possible cracks he had put in Christianity's seemingly irrefutable wall, Nietzsche was bereft of all this. Being the most blunt, caustic, and hard-swinging philosopher of the 20th century model.
Because of Nietzsche's sister, a Hitler proponent, popularizing his works, a taboo was placed on his thinking. Hitler projected himself being the artist-warrior that Nietzsche prophesied (artist yes, and even a vegetarian, however only warriored when conscripted in the army), and ultimately replaced the name Zarathustra with Hitler. The irony of the situation that Nietzsche's sister created though is that Nietzsche would have hated the Nazi regime.
Nietzsche's ideals also were the most moulding because they were the freshest of the 20th century thinkers. Before he, no Nihilists (impossible to call him Atheistic, for saying God is dead admits that there was a God, which would refute an Atheist label) had ever permeated pop culture so widely, and for so long. The Romantics, who could be compared to Nietzsche in their anarchistic views of the world, differ from he on the religious ground, though, because folk culture that was studied were all very pious. Piety was not tread lightly by neither folk culture nor Romantics. 'Twas pure unmitigated heresy to proclaim the death of God.
Nietzsche remains a prominent figure even in today's culture. In the Sundance Film Festival, one winner, "Little Miss Sunshine," contained a main character who fully subscribed to Nietzsche's thinking, as well as having a charcoal sketch of his face and facial hair.
ALSOOOOO Nietzsche's facial hair is the best of any others. Any particular irony/coincidence that his facial hair mirrors that of Bismarck's? Ho-ho says I, twirling a phantom squirrel's tail moustache.
In my opinion the man who contributed the most on this list is Herbert Spence. He took Darwin’s principles of natural selection and applied them to human society. This concept came to be known as “Social Darwinism”. This Social Darwinism was easily applied to the capitalistic business world. The companies who were most fit to survive would prosper while the less fit companies fell into obscurity. In a more general sense those more fit to make and handle money were wealthier. In reverse those who were living in poverty deserved to be there because they did not do the work, did not have the skills, or were not responsible enough to handle large quantities of money. Spencer was actually the one who coined the term “survival of the fittest”. Spencer also recognized that when a society starts out it is simple and as it grows the society becomes more complex. This individualistic and forward-thinking ideal fit perfectly with the social and political mood of the coming century, and helped people make the transition.
Also Nietzsche has by far the best facial hair.
Mike Topitzer
Period 3
In my personal opinion, Sigmund Freud has the one-two punch. 1)For is impact on psychology and 2) His awesome facial hair.
After reading "Out With the Old", I feel that Sigmund Frued contributed the most the incoming century. Frued's somewhat unconventional and unheard of thoughts truly changed the course of the study of the mind. He is best known for the development of psychoanalysis, pyschosexual development, and unconscious repression. He also praised to drug cocaine as an excellent panacea.He could essentially be refereed to as the founder of psychology due to his break through and revolution of the study of the mind.
Despite some rather outlandish and peculiar claims and theories, Freud still drastically changed the idea of the human mind, and laid the building blocks of psychology for many years and decades to come.
In my opinion, Herbert Spencer was the most influential philosopher during the turn of the century. Spencer’s contribution to the intellectual society ranges from his development of evolutionary theory in reference of philosophy, and psychology to his defense of natural rights and criticism of utilitarian positivism. His ideas influenced many later historical figures including Andrew Carnegie, William Graham Sumner, and Robert Nozick.
For example, one of the most significant philosophies that Spencer developed was his ideas on progress. In order to understand progress, Spencer answered the question, “what makes change in nature”, by referring to the investigations of Wolff, Goethe, and Van Baer. Through his investigation, he established that organic progress consists in a change from homogeneous (same), to heterogeneous (different). Everything in nature makes progress through the same steps. The evolution of differentiation from the simple into the complex is evident in the development of society, government, the human race, language, science, art, etc. Spencer also concluded that a second differentiation was occurring along with the first. This differentiation explains the reason as to why communities segregate into distinct classes and social orders. Spencer stated that although all communities start off the same (homogeneous), the environment developed around the location differs, thus leading to a more distinguished locality (heterogeneous).
In connection with this theory, Herbert Spencer also coined the phrase, “survival of the fittest”. Spencer’s theory proposes an idea of natural selection. In this he hoped to explain that only the strong of society will advance while the weak will decline and soon die off. Although some of his ideas of evolution and progress rivaled those of Charles Darwin, their ideas did interrelate on this topic. Spencer’s phrase was later used by Darwin to describe his social Darwinism philosophy.
Therefore, it is evident that Spencer’s contribution to the theories of society was great. His work influences people everyday whether it be in science, politics, or philosophy.
I think that the thoughts of Herbert Spencer were the most significant because I think that they have been able to leave a lasting impression on the world more so than the others. There isn’t a single person who has heard anything about biology without hearing the term “survival of the fittest”. This phrase used to describe how evolution can occur and how people today can win game shows was coined by Herbert Spencer in his Principles of Biology. The contributions of Spencer in that piece of work are still being considered today as a proper way to simply depict evolution and the process of natural selection.
In addition to his work with evolution, Spencer was involved in sociology, synthetic philosophy, ethics, agnosticism, and politics. His contributions spanned across a wide variety of topics all him to make a more significant impact than others who focused on single ideas and were unable to expand them further. In these fields, he was able to contribute theories and ideas that have also left impacts. In social philosophy, he believed in the ultimate perfection of the human race through scientific principles that had already been established at the time. With that view, he had combined aspects of Deism, as well as Positivism. He also used synthetic philosophy in an attempt to take all scientific laws and combine them into one natural law that would exist without any exceptions.
Personally I give Huxley some bonus points for his facial hair. It’s completely ridiculous like the others, and yet I feel as though he could still eat without tasting it hours later unlike the others.
All comments should be posted!!! (3&8)
After reading the articles, I believe that Soren Kierkegaard contributed to the most significant thoughts as we approach a new century. His thoughts not only introduced a new way of thinking, but it also challenged Christianity. He wanted the whole religion of Christianity to change drastically so that the corruption would finally end. According to Kierkegaard, he thought that the only thing that the churches cared about was getting more numbers in their attendance, and not about the spiritual guidance that they were meant to provide. He thought that the church just wanted to gain more and more power, which he thought would lead to a core corrupt society. Some might that Kierkegaard wanted to abolish Christianity, but he just wanted to change some aspects of it.
Kierkegaard contributed the most significant thoughts as the new century approached because he was brave enough to challenge the Christian church. He didn’t care that his writings were controversial, he just wanted to let the people read the truth.
I believe that Soren Kierkegaard had the most significant ideas during this time. He rejected science and called for a revitalization of Western Christianity. He attempted to discredit the Church by pointing out phiosophical flaws, and encouraged one's own experiences. He differenciated between fear and angst: fear has an object, and could go away if the feared object is removed or destroyed. Angst cannot be removed, because people will always be afraid.
He also believed in the subjective truth, as opposed to objective truth. He believed that one's own experiences (subjective) were more important than science (objective).
Kierkegaard also has the best hair
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