Readings - "Out w/ the Old"
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?
Non-credit question: Whose facial hair rules????
Due 3/4
66 comments:
The most important person on the list would have to be Louis Pasteur. Born in 1822 to poor tanners he would become one of the most influential persons in the world. He is most well known for the medical breakthroughs he discovered. One of the methods he is most famed for is of course the pasteurization of many dairy and cider products. This is usual performed by raising the temperature of the product by to a set degree for a certain amount of time. This method stymies the growth of many malevolent microbes in the product. This method does not kill the microorganisms; rather it slows the process of their growth. Pasteurization is now a requirement for many dairy and cider products by the food and drug administration.
Another achievement that Pasteur is accounted for the germ theory of disease. The germ theory is the cornerstone of all modern day medicine. This helped hospitals to institute changes to allow for less disease transfer after patients have already arrived at the hospital. This new theory introduced the medical world to the concept of viruses.
Pasteur also formally discovered the method of immunization in many diseases. He is accounted as the first person to derive immunizations for both rabies and anthrax. This led work to the immunization of humans every year to the newest and most current strain of flu. This was also the basis of many other vaccines. Other vaccines include tuberculosis and polio sprouted from this idea of vaccination to gain immunity to certain diseases, but infecting the patient with a weak strain of the virus.
So overall, Pasteur introduced many new medical breakthroughs to the world and therefore is probably the most important person of his time.
The twentieth century was defined by new ideas and innovation. “Out with the old” seems to be a very appropriate description for the lines of thinking that characterized thought in the early 1900s, as ideas and maxims from the nineteenth century became increasingly boring and uninteresting. Men like Freud, Zola, and Compte were sometimes criticized for their bold assertions and investigative insights, but they never stopped pushing boundaries. Herbert Spencer stands out as one of the most influential thinkers for the approaching century. His theories on Social Darwinism adapted Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, natural selection, and survival of the fittest to society at large. In his book on the subject, Social Statics, Spencer described how progress in society comes from the struggle for survival. In this struggle, the fit or strong survive and expand while the weak decline. Spencer believed strongly that the state should not interfere in this “natural” process. Although his ideas about denying state aid to the weak and poor may not have been carried out in their entirety, with much of Europe favoring socialist and state-funded welfare programs in the nineteenth century, early condition in cities were quite morbid for the poor, and the needy were largely ignored for the first half of the nineteenth century while nation built their industrial empires.
Spencer’s ideas resonated more profoundly with nationalist and even racists. Extreme nationalist translated Spencer’s theories to apply to the international stage, in which only the best and fittest nations would survive. The imperial race that dominated the beginning of the early twentieth century became a proving ground for nations. Isolation form the rest of the world would become a virtual impossibility. Racism was also given an argument to support many of its claims when Spencer first began writing his ideas down. Germany specifically claimed that pure Germans, or the Aryan race, were biologically superior over black people, Jewish people, and people of Asian descent. According to Germans, only the Aryan race should survive. This dangerous ideology eventually led to the Holocaust and World War II. Although Spencer may not have foreseen the negative consequences of his theory, his words had many deleterious effects in the twentieth century. Lastly, Spencer’s facial hair is obviously the most superior choice.
The most influential person I believe to be located on the list of influential people was Herbert Spencer for his theory on Social Darwinism. It is said that Spencer had these believes even before Darwin wrote his Origin of Species and his ideas became much more popular after Darwin published his findings. It is also said that Spencer believed that society was becoming more individualistic and that only those who were able to adapt could survive in this changing society. He thought that government should have a limited role in controlling people’s social and political lives because people had a right to making their ideas and conventions work so that they could survive. Social Darwinism however was not Spencer’s only contribution to the world during his lifetime. He was an influential person in the studies of ethics, psychology, political theory, economics, biology, sociology, philosophy, and anthropology. As you can see Spencer was a jack of all trades so to speak and he was also nominated for a Nobel Prize in literature. Without Spencer’s strong beliefs in Social Darwinism his ideas may not have spread throughout the world. Though Spencer was extremely influential I do believe that Friedrich Nietzsche would beat him in the best facial hair contest.
I feel Louis Pasteur’s contributions were perhaps the most significant. He was a physicist, a chemist, a biologist, and a microbiologist. His discoveries forever revolutionized the field of science and medicine. As a chemist, he worked a lot with crystallography and began to understand molecular asymmetry which led him to study contagious diseases with his knowledge of fermentation. Pasteur’s fermentation experiments caused him to apply them to the real world through the use of his process becoming known as pasteurization. It was frequently used to keep beers, wines, and other liquids at a certain temperature to prevent diseases. Meanwhile, he also began studying and researching a prevalent disease known as the silkworm disease by learning that it was contagious and that the cure laid in the creation of cellular eggs. With his microbiological techniques, Pasteur reached what he is perhaps most credited with, the groundbreaking germ theory of disease. All his research proved that most diseases were due to microorganisms that were foreign and infectious. This, in turn, led him to find cures for diseases such as anthrax, chicken cholera, silkworm disease, and rabies. In finding the cure for rabies, Pasteur introduced vaccination and preventing diseases. Pasteur was indeed the most important figure of his time, he developed methods which are still intact today to purify foods, cure diseases, and prevent them. Pasteur’s insightful contributions introduced a whole new branch of immunology in medicine and science which are affecting and helping people till this day.
I feel that Søren Kierkegaard contributed some of the most influential ideas to the turn of the century. He was basically the father of existentialism, a modern philosophy that is found in numerous works of literature. While he did not intend to provide the basis for a philosophy that challenges the pre-held conceptions of religion, his ideas against using abstract concepts to gauge real life were groundbreaking and paved the way for many out-of-the-box thinkers and ideas in the future (such as the aforementioned existentialism). He dared to attack the established conceptions on philosophy in passionate support of the Western Christianity he loved, a trait one cannot help but admire as it is so rarely seen today. He also introduced the concept of ‘angst’ as a fear without a specific source, a term that is widely used and accepted today in basic day to day like (although I do think the meaning has changed somewhat). He was also one of the first people who turned more from the concept of objective truth and focused primarily on the subjective instead, which is the concept that truth is only defined insofar as one’s own experience and should not merely be taken on the word of another. As for the important question of Best Hair in the 1800’s yearbook, I have to go with Thomas Henry Huxley. He just has these ferocious tufts one cannot help but admire and fear at the same time. It makes you wonder if he was startled, would his hair leap on end like a defensive animal’s? That would make a wonderful shot as part of a family photo.
Herbert Spencer is one of the most influential thinker of the mid 1800s and the thoughts and ideas he contributed were the most significant in the list of the significant figures. Herbert Spencer’s extensive work on different social and scientific experiments involving Social Darwinism. He speaks of the change that takes place when turning from a child to a man as progress. In this experiment he elaborates how “progress” turns into a skirmish to live. These ideas were ones which he adapted from Charles Darwin and his theories known as Social Darwinism. Spencer believes that this struggle to adapt and change to survive is a natural process which should not be tampered with through different government programs designed to help the less fortunate. He believes that if the less fortunate cannot make it through themselves than it was just nature’s natural way of weeding them out and creating a stronger thing that can survive. These thoughts are ones that have carried on throughout history and have been largely studied the impact of his studies are even being studied currently in high school biology classes. His work off of Charles Darwin’s is very commonly seen in modern times and has influenced many great scientists to learn more about genetics and therefore getting us where we are today with a very sophisticated understanding of genetics that is still being expanded today.
and also Thomas Henry Huxley has the coolest facial hair
Of all the people on the list I have to say that Friedrich Nietzsche was the most important figure as far as the development of culture and thinking in the new century. Where Pasteur created pasteurization and found cures for many diseases and Freud and Jung attempted to unravel the mysteries of the human psyche and dreams, Friedrich Nietzsche worked on developing ideas of nihilism, existentialism, and postmodern thought. Nietzsche resurrected the idea that time was repetitive, therefore history repeats itself, which is a common idea in today’s world. He also introduced perspectivism, or how there are many viable ways in which a person or group of people could see the world, value things, and see truth. This philosophy is reminiscent of the imperialistic age, and the readings we did in class where China thought the English were barbarians and vice versa. His work in existentialism is second only to Søren Kierkegaard, its main idea being people give their own lives meaning redefined the way people thought of themselves as well as asserting the importance of being free and a defined individual. Nihilism in the same way defined morals and life’s purpose as not truly existing in the traditional sense but something that is defined by the individual. A result of the imperialistic age, Nietzsche also explains postmodern philosophy as basically unbiased view of humans, governments, or countries. This means humans are indistinguishable from animals, no one type of government is necessarily better than another, and no country is better than any other. This view basically rejects the superiority and ethnocentrism which fueled prior mercantilist and imperialist ideals and opens up the new century with these ideals.
As for who has the best facial hair, it is totally Nietzsche again because he looks similar to Jamie Hyneman from mythbusters especially with the ‘stache.
I believe that the most influential person on the list was Herbert Spencer. Spencer was a huge supporter and advocate of Social Darwinism, and actually had these beliefs before Darwin wrote his famous Origin of Species. Spencer also strongly believed in the individual, and believed that the society was becoming more individually oriented, and those whom would be able to adapt to the changing times and environment would much more likely to survive in the said society. He believed that the government should keep its hand out of the individuals business, and lives. He believed that people had the right to make their own decisions. Not only did Spencer contribute a lot to Social Darwinism, he was also a very influential person in many fields such as biology, economics, sociology, philosophy, and many more. All these ideas have spread all over the world, making Spencer to me the most influential.
The person I find most influential is also one I personally have an interest in, Sigmund Freud. Freud theories are the forerunners for those of modern day psychologists. Freud’s advances during the 19th and 20th century began a new error in psycho analysis, from this point forward a new analytical approach was taken to the rich tapestry of the mind. Freud furthered a new area of psychology known as the unconscious mind. His theories on repression gave views to what previously had been unexplained. Furthermore Freud treated patients who suffered from psychopathology. Many of his theories directly or indirectly influenced other movements such as Marxism. His theories of the id, ego, and super-ego where also advanced and gave a basis on the working of human want. Previously the yearnings of the mind were not really addressed in detail. However Freud’s use of these terms to describe a minds wants and mental blocks gave a foundation upon which many of the fields involving behavioral analysis could take root. Positions such as criminal profiling became possible. Much of society also benefited from the new advances in dream analysis and behavior of the human mind. The dream transformation of sexual anxiety gave a more modern view of the anxiety and tension of the mind. Before this theory, sexual tension and other forms of tension were un explained. Another theory gave a more scientific meaning to life, which many people needed after the theory of evolution and the already decadent state of the catholic church. This theory stated there were two main drives of the mind. The life drive, libido or Eros, which drives survival, propagation, hunger, thirst, and sex and the death drive. The death drive drove repetition, in which he believed, in effect, was primitive and marked by the total draining of energy similar to death. Freud’s many followers used his ideas and furthered the field of psychology. In conclusion Freud’s new theories opened new doors to the mind and cemented a foundation on which the many psychologies were based.
As for who’s facial hair is the best it would have to be Herbert Spencer with what appears to be a combination of a bad hair day and an attempt to grow a lions mane.
I feel that the most important of the bunch was Sigmund Freud. His ideas on the human mind were far different than what had previously been thought by psychologists. The shift in psychological thought that he championed was by far one of the best and most well studied ideas in psychology in all of history up to this point. He also made many discoveries in medicines that were used to treat dementia such as cocaine and through years of work was able to solve many mysteries of the human unconscious. Not only that but he was able to better develop his theories and properly labeled stages of mental development which had not been discovered by any psychologist up to this point. Sigmund Freud was important because he started to unlock the minds of the Victorian age.
And winner of best facial hair goes to Thomas Henry Huxley for a beautiful display of mutton chops.
I feel that Louis Pasteur contributed most significantly out of those on the list. For one thing, he founded the field of microbiology, which is an extremely important and rapidly expanding field of science, even today. However, more directly significant to my own life was his invention of the pasteurization process. Pasteurization kills disease-causing pathogens in drinks such as milk. As someone who drinks several glasses of milk a day, I greatly appreciate the fact that my milk lacks pathogens, and I have Pasteur to thank for that. With milk aside, I also believe it historically significant that Pasteur disproved the theory of spontaneous generation. This theory stated that living creatures can spawn from non-living matter. For example, it explained why maggots are found on rotting meat: because maggots are born from rotting meat. In biology class, my teacher explained the old recipe for bees: build a shed, kill a bull and leave its body in the shed, and in the spring bees will grow from it. As ridiculous as it sounds to us today, this was a commonly accepted belief. Pasteur disproved this theory by showing that microorganisms did not grow out of broth in an almost-sealed container, so it couldn’t be the broth that spawned the microorganisms. Pasteur’s accomplishments go on and on, with these two I described holding plenty of weight on their own. This is why I believe that Louis Pasteur contributed most significantly. Also, Dostoevsky has the best facial hair. While the others only have a portion of their face covered in hair, Dostoevsky has a full beard and mustache.
It is never easy to pick just one intellectual and say that their contributions were the most significant because everyone who's on the list made advancements that were extremely important in their area of expertise. So instead of picking the most obvious or popular person, I'm going to say that Mary Wollstonecraft contributed the most significant thoughts dealing with women's rights in this new age. Wollstonecraft greatly challenged the popular opinion and brought forth extremely convincing arguments for the rights of women. It was hard to deny the truth in her statements and she gave many women of the age the voice and courage to fight for their rights. With the publication of her novel The Vindication on the Rights of Women, Mary advocated for the equality of the sexes and disgarded the ideas that women were just helpless, charming adornments in the household. She spoke the plain and cold truth and did what so many before her were afraid to do. She also got involved in Robespierre's reign of terror, denouncing and ridiculing the violence being committed. This just goes to prove that she not only set an example through her words, but through her actions as well. By getting involved with current issues, a place that women were highly discouraged to enter, Wollstonecraft proved that women could be strong and could contribute very intellectual opinions, rather than the old notion that women were just dainty little play toys. She may not be the most heard of figure from the time, but Mary Wollstonecraft made huge sacrifices for the advancement of women. She challenged the norm and brought forth new and convincing arguments that have been used by women's rights activists years after her time.
Furthermore, Friedrich Nietzsche's facial hair rules the most, by far. His overly sized mustache looks very soft and fluffy. He also has a little faux hawk going on. Very cool, very...hip.
In my opinion the most important person on the posted list is Herbert Spencer. He was one of, if not, the first person to begin to divulge into the realms of evolution. This was extremely progressive, even radical, thinking for this time period. To do so this would take incredible initiative and daring in order to go into this topic, especially make it public that you were doing so. It went against everything that the Church had preached. His thoughts started a a whole new set of ideas concerning the creation of the world. It is a distinct possibility that without Herbert's ideas that Darwin would never have found the base for his knowledge and therefore we might have never had the theory of Evolution, which is the generally accepted. That is why I believe that he is the most important person on the list due to his contributions to modern science.
The explosion of philosophical thought which occurred following the French and Industrial Revolutions spanned innumerable topics, in an effort to document and explain how the mind, how religion, how science, how society, and how everything comes to develop and operate the way it does. Each writing clearly presents an opinion, leaning to one side of any scale (the political spectrum, etc.), which leads to opposing schools of thought that further promote the expansion of philosophy. In the end, it is difficult to say that one thinker contributed better “thoughts” than any other, especially when most of them addressed different subjects, and each came from a different point of view with their own unique insight. Furthermore, the person who's thoughts attracted the most attention wasn't necessarily the most poignant, or the most influential to modern era philosophy. However, were I to choose one thinker from the given list, it would have to be Auguste Comte. His writings, to me, seem to summarize many of the facets of leftist political thought, which would go on to have massive influence on Karl Marx, among others, and the development of leftist government ideologies such as socialism and communism, which have had major effects the world over. Comte's idea of “fixed principles of judgment and of conduct” in all sectors suggests the establishment of order, which can then provide the atmosphere for collaborative efforts and true progress. Furthermore, his doctrine of positivism presents a philosophy which holds the scientific method to be the best way to uncover how the world, in both the physical and social sense, works. Although faith is a powerful mechanism, I believe that the progression and betterment of society is reliant on science, which analyzes how the world works and applies that knowledge to fixing problems. The Positivist doctrine of “Philosophy and Polity” demands an understanding and application of proposed ideas, which can in turn lead to a straightforwardness and efficiency that the modern world demands. This is perfectly analogous to the scientific method, a long celebrated process which ensures that discoveries, and in this case government workings, are well-documented, understandable, and, perhaps most importantly, reproducible. To me, this is essentially a doctrine prescribing rational, logical thought as the proper way of bettering the world. By establishing a government by scientific rationale, Comte hoped to achieve a regulated and harmonious society, founded on the doctrine of “Love, Order, Progress.” Although I know better than to believe in the success of utopian societies, I feel that some regulation and so-called “socialist” doctrines (government-controlled industries, healthcare options and welfare programs for the disadvantaged, WITH PROPER OVERSIGHT) promote the general welfare of the state by benefitting its foundation: the people, whether rich or poor, of all races, of all political opinions, and of all religious credos. For being an early proponent of social welfare and altruism, and for generally trying to figure out how to make the world a better place for everyone, Auguste Comte has my wholehearted respect, and my vote for most influential thinker on the list.
On a side note, Nietzsche's overly bushy mustache is a work of art. He by far has the best facial hair going.
The figure that I believe contributed the most to society at the time was Herbert Spencer. Most famous for his ideas on "Social Darwinism," Spencer was able to use what he thought up to apply to other aspects of life not only related to nature. In later years, his thoughts about how only the strongest survive were related to the ways of the economy and the rest of society. The phrase, "survival of the fittest," which was thought up by Spencer, has been vital to society ever its creation. It is always known that only the most powerful are able to make it, whether it be in nature with animals such as the lion, or even in a business with a very competitive market trying to make a profit and sell more than everyone else. He also thought of the then revolutionary idea of the importance of oneself. Since these ideas were at a time of much moving forward, Spencer was able to contribute greatly. Even though he gained his knowledge from the works and discoveries of Charles Darwin, Spencer was still able to come from a whole new angle on the topic of evolution, and it had a great impact on the society of the world. Spencer was able to apply the science of evolution, which was extremely controversial at the time and continues to be that way today, to the society that relates to everyone. Even though Spencer was not the creator of the idea of evolution, he significantly helped to move it forward as well as starting the new idea of "Social Darwinism," which went right along with the other new beliefs of the time.
Oh, and by the way, I would have to say that Nietzsche has the best facial hair going on.
There are several people who had great impacts on this time period, I believe that Pasteur was the one with the greatest contribution out of the people listed. His contributions to science still impact our lives today. People like Herbert Spencer had a great impact on their time, but their ideas have died out since. Pasteur’s work still plays a role in modern society. Pasteur worked to understand diseases and what caused them. His work has helped humans to live longer and healthier lives. Pasteur was an advocate of the germ theory of disease. Today it might seem obvious that it is germs that make food go bad, but at the time people though it just went bad over time. Pasteur made his argument by cleverly preserving a broth inside a container with a curving neck. Because of the shape of the neck, it was impossible for bacteria to get into the container. The broth was preserved, but a similar broth in a container with a straight neck went bad. Pasteur used this to prove that it was germs that made food go bad. He spent a lot of his time studying germs and discovering ways to prevent disease. The discovery that he is most famous for is the pasteurization process. He found that if food is heated up to a specific degree, and then cooling it rapidly and keeping it cool kills of a lot of bacteria in the food and then slows the life cycle of the remaining microbes. The method is still used today. Pasteur is also credited with the creation of some vaccines, including rabies. Because of Pasteur’s focus on microbial studies, many consider him to be a father of microbiology. Microbiology is the study of tiny, often disease causing life forms such as viruses, fungi, bacteria, and protists. Given his influence on modern science and daily life, I believe that Pasteur was the most important figure.
He was, however, outmustached by many of his contemporaries.
It is very difficult to choose a figure that made the most significant contribution in the 19th century because all of the figures listed successfully made significant contributions. The very significance of each of these individuals is relevant to both the various fields in which they made contributions along with your personal opinion. Personally, I am very interested in scientific theories and philosophies which is why I would say that the most significant figure of that time was Herbert Spencer. Not only did Herbert Spencer lay the foundation for Charles Darwin’s entire theory on evolution, but he also revolutionized the way people began to view our world and the various species. He was able to make the intricate connections throughout the various species and some how chain us all together in a way that held us all together from one origin. Thus, the modern theory of evolution was born and spread. Also, Spencer came up with scientific theories we still associate with today such as “adaptation” and “survival of the fittest”. Because these theories were proven to be accurate and still utilized today, I find them to be a great contribution. Not only was Darwin able to apply his findings to science, but also to social and political life. From his findings, he concluded that through the course of evolution, individuals were gaining more freedom and therefore needed less government intervention. This is because humans have become so evolved that external authority figures would not be necessary. Finally, one of the major reasons Herbert Spencer’s contributions stuck out to me is because at the time, the idea of evolution was completely frowned upon. Even today sometimes evolution is seen as defying the Bible and can offend people but during the 19th century, it was absolutely unheard of that humans were not a product of divine nature let alone evolved from apes! I feel that because Spencer was able to defy the odds and stand against the majority but still contribute tremendous ideas, that he should be recognized and applauded. Overall, Herbert Spencer introduced ideas that have revolutionized the field of science and still prevail in our society today.
Out of the list of influential figures, Michael Faraday made the most significant contribution to the new thoughts formulated in the twentieth century. Like many other influential figures such as Herbert Spencer and Sigmund Freud, Faraday's contributions led to a better understanding of the previously unknown. The difference with Faraday is that his ideas had much more impact on the lives of people. In the coming century, they would revolutionize the way people lived. Faraday was a forerunner in the field of electrochemistry and magnetism. His early work on electricity and magnetism set the stage for future breakthroughs in the twentieth century. Although he was self-educated, he became a very successful scientist by conducting many experiments. He began his scientific career as an assistant of Humphry Davy. During his time as assistant, he conducted numerous chemical experiments, such as observing the diffusion of gases. He performed experiments on liquifying gases and also discovered several new compounds. Then, Faraday began studying electricity and magnetism. He created the first electrical motor, which led to better, more efficient electrical motors in the future. He also discovered electromagnetic induction when he used moving magnets to create a current in a wire. His experiments with electrical cells led to the creation of batteries in the coming century. The impact of Faraday's work is evident even now. Without the advancements he made, today's plethora of electrical gadgets would not exist. The Faraday constant and the SI unit of the farad were both named in honor of him. The impact of Faraday's discoveries separates him from other influential figures.
Thomas Henry Huxley definitely has the best facial hair.
The most influential person on the list is Louis Pasteur. His breakthroughs still influence medicine today. He is probably most famous for developing the process of pasteurization. Pasteurization is a process in which a product is heated to a certain temperature for a specific amount of time, then cooling it immediately. This process kills many disease causing microorganisms. Pasteur is also known for his fermentation experiment that disproved the theory of spontaneous generation, which stated that living organisms could arise from nonliving matter. He boiled broth to kill any existing microorganisms and let it sit in a flask designed to not let in any new microorganisms. When life did not arise from the broth Pasteur was able to disprove spontaneous generation. In addition, Pasteur also developed the germ theory of disease. This theory first introduced the concept of viruses. His discoveries led to changes in medical practices aimed to prevent the spread of disease in hospitals. He is also credited with developing vaccines for diseases such as rabies. Louis Pasteur's breakthroughs revolutionized the practice of medicine. The medical world would not be what it is today without the work of Louis Pasteur.
In conclusion, Thomas Henry Huxley has the most impressive mutton chops I have ever seen. He is the obvious winner.
At the end of the 19th century, many people contributed novel ideas that changed others’ mindsets or lifestyles. Louis Pasteur was one of those people. He was the most significant because he not only accomplished many things and dispersed valuable ideas, but also became an inspiration and role model for future scientists.
Pasteur’s background as a chemist provided the basis for his scientific approach to medical problems. He disproved the popular theory of Spontaneous Generation, which stated that life can spontaneously arise from nonliving matter, with his fermentation experiments. In its place, Pasteur established the germ theory of disease, which proposes that microscopic organisms are responsible for diseases and that identification of the organisms can help prevent or slow down the spread of disease. He utilized his idea in discovering the anthrax (1877) and rabies (1885) vaccines, resolving the French silk worm crisis, and protecting the soldiers of the Franco-German War of 1870-1.
The fermentation experiments also led to other important contributions. Pasteur discovered anaerobic life in the diseased wines he was studying. That started new fields of study. Furthermore, he began the practice of pasteurization, in which a product is heated to destroy the organisms causing its spoilage. This idea kept food safe to eat longer, so it commercially benefitted farmers, but it personally benefitted the health of everyone. Anaerobic life and pasteurization are still present today, in textbooks and in practice.
Beyond just the ideas that he came up with himself, Pasteur inspired future scientists. His accomplishments gave them the lofty ambition to attempt to isolate the bacteriological causes of other diseases and create vaccines. His discoveries also led to more discoveries. For example, Joseph Lister realized through Pasteur’s work that bacteria might be able to penetrate wounds and cause infections. Thus, he began using a disinfectant, carbolic acid, during surgery, and drastically changed the public perception of surgeries.
Pasteur contributed the most significant thoughts toward the end of the 1800s because his discoveries saved lives and explained how the lives were saved.
The person on the list that contributed the most significantly was Louis Pasteur. He was well versed in fields such as microbiology, medicine and chemistry. One of the contributions that he is most remembered for is his creation of vaccines for diseases such as rabies and anthrax. The rabies vaccine was especially beneficial for mankind because majority of rabies cases were fatal. Deaths caused by rabies have also decreased since the vaccine; from one hundred deaths a year to two deaths. Pasteur also contributed to the knowledge of silkworm disease and chicken cholera. But Pasteur’s most well known contribution is the creation of pasteurization in 1864. With pasteurization allowed the drinking of milk to be safer since the process slows down the microbial growth. Pasteurization can prevent diseases from drinking milk such as salmonella, diphtheria and brucellosis. As a microbiologist, Pasteur along with Robert Koch and Ferdinand Cohn are considered the fathers of microbiology. Over the years the field of microbiology has separated into twelve specialties. Pasteur’s theory that microbes were the cause of diseases during the Franco-German War saved hundreds of lives. He persuaded the military medical corps to sterilize by heating the surgical tools; less soldiers died of a result since infection decreased by the sterilization of medical instruments. Louis Pasteur’s contributions have gone on to influence others to do what he did; better the world for all of humanity.
Nietzsche’s facial hair is the best because of the walrus mustache and the fact that he’s rocking a faux-hawk in the 19th century.
After reviewing the "Out with the Old" readings, I have come to the conclusion that Herbert Spencer contributed the most significant thoughts at the turning point of the century. I love the fact that he was openly advocating for Social Darwinism, and that he believed the government's role in society should be minimal. Not only do I agree with his ideas, they are significant due to the fact that so very few people were as bold as him (aside from Charles Darwin) to suggest the theory of evolution. He knew that there was physical evidence of evolution, as he said: "The investigations of Wolff, Goethe, and Van Baer have established the truth that the series of changes gone through during the development of a seed into a tree, or an ovum into an animal, constitute an advance from homogeneity of structure to heterogeneity of structure". He was able to make the connection from nature to a parallel type of progress throughout all areas in life. You can't argue with that kind of logic, although many at that time tried to. But he clearly was a brilliant man and was greatly influential in spreading his ideals. Furthermore I think he is the most significant figure of that time.
Also, Nietzsche beats out everyone in the facial hair competition. It's not even a question with his walrus mustache.
There were many influential people from the 19th century. In my opinion, the most important person on this list would be Louis Pasteur. Pasteur was involved in physics, chemistry, and biology. He also founded the field of microbiology. One of Pasteur's most well known accomplishments is the development of pasteurization. Pasteurization is a process involving many dairy and cider products. It us usually performed by raising the temperature of the cider or dairy product a set amount for a certain amount of time. Pasteurization slows the growth of any microbes in the product that may foster ill effects to the consumer. The microbes are not killed by the process, but there usually rapid rate of reproduction is substantially slowed down. Pasteurization is now a process that is required for many dairy and cider products. In the field of microbiology, Pasteur achieved what his is perhaps most well known for, the germ theory of disease. His extensive reach proved that most diseases were caused by foreign, infectious microbes. This breakthrough led him to develop cures for diseases such as anthrax and rabies. Pasteur's cure for rabies also introduced the concept of vaccinations to prevent disease by infecting the patient with a weak strain of the virus.
Because of Pasteur's breakthroughs in the biological field and their continuing effects on today's society, he was the most important person from his time period.
Of the names listed, the man who most undoubtedly had the largest impact on the field of ‘thought’ for his time was none other than Herbert Spencer. Largely self-educated, Spencer grew from an unsuccessful writer to the author of a 10 volume, 40 year series. He grew from a youth interested in learning to one of the most influential philosophers in the world. Spencer’s legacy is within his efforts to unify the laws that governed all aspects of the universe, from biology to morality, under a common set of principles. His most prominent work, the aforementioned 10 volume series known as the System of Synthetic Philosophy, applied the laws of evolution to Biology, Psychology, Sociology, and Morality. The collection has been touted to have ‘few parallels in the English language.’ Spencer’s work “Progress: Its Law and Cause,” used a theory of embryology- that all life-forms develop from a single homogeneous state to a complex heterogeneous organism- to explain how societies emerged in the macroscopic world. His area of work received an enormous boost with the emergence of Darwin’s Origin of Species. With its revolutionary revelations on the nature of evolution, Spencer was so inspired to coin the term ‘survival of the fittest.’ It was this that eventually led him to develop his most far-reaching theory of all: Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism, somewhat like the genetic process of natural selection, conjectures that those that are more successful in society are so because they are naturally ‘better.’ This, however, has the unfortunate side effect of explaining off incompetence and failure as signs that certain humans would be better off not passing on their genes. Though the theory was horrendously twisted by many, it ultimately led to a ‘scientific’ shunning of morals in favor of what was presumed to be ‘natural law.’ Social reforms found immense resistance, when it was presumed that any who suffered deserved to do so. Likewise, the rich were not to be inconvenienced, for it was meant for them to be successful. Spencer believed that, eventually, this naturally selective process would allow the human race to evolve to social perfection. While his theory was misconstrued, his linking of concrete scientific phenomena and objective social opinions was the crack in the flood-gate in which the ignorant majority of the population subscribed to a scientific cause of their suffering. As the first philosopher of his time to sell over a million copies of his work, Spencer’s ideas were far-reaching in all levels of society. His emphasis on self-improvement resonated well with a middle class seeking success, and allowed his work to enter the mainstream like no other.
A single revolutionary idea can often define a whole time period. In the 19th century, there wasn't just a single revolutionary idea, but scores of them, all world-changing in their very own way. People like Zola and Freud changed the world with new concepts such as naturalism and psychology. However, I believe that the most influential idea of the time was contributed by a man named Herbert Spencer. Born to a religiously dissenting father, Spencer from the start was bound to not conform to traditional views and paradigms of his contemporary era. In 1859, Charles Darwin, just returned from his voyage in the USS Beagle wrote a book entitled, "On the Origin of Species". This book detailed a new mechanism that Darwin suggested summed up best as "the survival of the fittest. He believed that creatures with more beneficial traits would survive and be able to pass those traits on to their offspring, evolving into a better and better species over time. However, this was only applied to animals. Herbert's contribution was to apply this "survival of the fittest" concept to a far broader reaching scope, adding humans into the mix. In Spencer's book, Social Statistics, he details many of these views. He believed that society was a fight for the fittest where the strong would thrive and the weak would fail. He just as strongly believed in a sort of laisser faire for this process, that governments should not interfere in this natural and necessary process. These ideas, while may having slight amounts of merit, led to some of the most unfortunate changes to the history of the world. It was a strong argument for racism and formed teh backbone of the Nazis belief in Aryan supremacy. However, Herbert's thoughts were significant and influential nonetheless
I believe that the most influential person was Louis Pasteur. His discoveries created new boundaries in the field of medicine. His life itself was inspirational to society, from a poor tanner to one of the most significant persons of the mid 1800’s, we can see this even today where every dairy product! He discovered the germ theory of disease, things like how it spreads and what causes it; with this knowledge all hospitals and medical practices find ways to prevent the spread of germs and thus keeping patients from getting worse. This also created the new idea of viruses, which explained many epidemics. Pasteur is credited to the formal discovery of immunization for anthrax and rabies. His work led to the discoveries of immunization of viruses like tuberculosis and the yearly flu. These immunizations create a resistance to the virus in the body, by introducing a weak strand of it to the body so the immune system knows what to do and becomes resistant to it. His most well known breakthrough was the method of pasteurization of dairy products and things like cider. These foods have natural yet detrimental microorganisms in them, and greatly increased the rate of decomposition. Through pasteurization, in which the product is heated for some time, the growth of these microorganisms is set back. This is a reason why milk does not go bad so quickly, and it is now a requirement in its production. Louis Pasteur was an extremely important figure in his time and in ours.
And of course, whose hair is the best. A difficult choice but I will have to go with Thomas Henry Huxley, because of their alarming shape and ferocious quality.
As we enter into the twentieth century several ideas and individuals lead Europe and the world on to the future. Sigmund Freud was the defining figure in psychology. Freud developed the psychodynamic approach to curing psychosis. In addition Freud caused several other approaches to psychology to emerge because of his discoveries. He attempted to define the drives that Humans experience. The first is Eros which is the drive to reproduce, love, eat and drink, and to survive. The second drive was Thanatos which is the death drive in Humans. Freud came up with this drive during the First World War so he may have been influence by one of the bloodiest conflicts in Human history. He also discovered dream therapy, which uses interpretations of one’s dreams to solve problems that they are facing psychologically in real life. Because Sigmund Freud jump started an entire scientific area of study, I believe that he had one of the biggest impacts on the world going into the twentieth century. The man in the middle of the first column has the best facial hair because they look like ant pincers.
During the twentieth century, some of the most influential people in history were alive. This era is known for innovation and old ideas to be replaced with new ground breaking ones. All of these people on the list made a significant impact on history, however I believe Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the top contenders. She was born on April 27 1759 in Spitalfields, London. She was a British writer, philosopher, and advocate of women’s rights. Mary Wollstonecraft is best known for her work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, she argues that women are not naturally inferior to men but only appear to be because of their lack of education. She bravely suggests that both men and women should be treated as rational beings and social order should be founded on reason. She had a very unorthodox lifestyle that went against the social norm and destroyed her reputation with some. However, when the feminist movement emerges in the twentieth century, Mary Wollstonecraft’s advocacy of women’s equality and her criticism of conventional femininity became important. Today she is considered one of the founding feminist philosophers and feminists often cite her life and work as influences. Without her, women’s rights would have continued to lag and who knows much longer it would have taken women to be considered equal to men without her help. As a female, I admire her and believe she is one of the most influential because she did more than create new ideas, she went against the social norm, advocated for a lacking cause, and sacrificed all she had for what she believed.
PS
Friedrich Nietzsche has the coolest facial hair haha
At the close of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century we saw society enter a more modern conscious state of intellectual and cultural developments. Many great figures aided in doing so but none more notably than Herbert Spencer, British philosopher and the trumpeter of social Darwinism. In applying Darwin’s theories about organic evolution to social order, Spencer was opening a can of worms. He stated that the disciplined nature of life, although it may seem harsh and unfair for some, is beneficial and ultimately what maintains societies balance. This notion was exaggerated by radical nationalists and racists who further applied Darwin’s theories to society, arousing a competitive nature between nations. Extreme nationalists applied the theory of “survival of the fittest” to nations, and claimed that they were too in a “struggle for existence.” This elevated nationalism and new theory of social Darwinism proved a dangerous concoction as desires for wars and, in the words of The Nationalist Association of Italy, “national redemption” expanded feverishly. Germany however, serves as the exemplar of the deadly combination of extreme nationalists and racists backed by Darwin’s biological justification.
The concept of Volk (nation, people, or race) had always been an important part of German society, and when German propagandist of Volk ideology, Houston Stewart Chamberlain, published his novel The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century he proposed that modern-day Germans were the only pure successors of “Aryans” (original inventors of Western culture). Jews, Negroes, and Orientals were then on increasingly seen as inferior races that the Western culture had to be protected from. Jews however suffered the greatest discrimination, and this initial discrimination would soon bleed into the Holocaust of the 1940s. Therefore Herbert’s application of Darwin’s theories to society influenced much beyond he could’ve imagined- intensifying barbaric competition and the need for superiority which in the future, would result in blood.
In the approach to a new century, many figures of philosophy, science, politics, medicine, and other fields made themselves prominent. It is difficult to pick one as the person who “most contributed” to the new era, as all contributed greatly and in differing fields and contexts. However, one such great contributor was Herbert Spencer. Spencer was able to combine the works of others such as Darwin, Huxley, and Comte. He also made other works more practical and applicable to society as a hole, notable Darwin’s theory of evolution. Considered the “Aristotle” of his time, he spent most of his adult life working on his philosophy. His book Social Statics (1851) took the stance that people must be shaped into the best people they can for the economy and society to succeed. Although it was not in this book that he coined the phrase, the concept of “survival of the fittest” in sociology as well as evolution and biology is attributed to Spencer. His economic philosophy entailed the encouragement of success and profit, but the abandonment of economic or societal “failures.” His views, highly capitalistic and laissez-faire in nature, garnered much praise as well as scorn. Spencer went on to meet and exchange ideas with other contemporary philosophers. His System of Synthetic Philosophy, decades in the making, further explored evolution in sociology, morality, psychology, economy, and biology. Although Spencer may be accused of insensitivity or ruthlessness, his contributions to economy and society are undeniable.
In an analysis of the superiority of facial hair, one’s opinion can only be considered informed after an analysis of the competition. Certainly, four of the five pictured vie admirably for the top position. The fifth, Charles Darwin at an unusually young age for such pictures, seems to only have given a half-hearted attempt to grow some mutton chops that we can assume were given up on. This is the only explanation I can think of for such an intelligent man to be so outclassed by his contemporaries, and it seems that at the time of this photograph he merely lacks the initiative to remove his almost pitiful attempt. By no means am I attacking Darwin’s capacity for creative hair-growing; in his older years, he was able to cultivate a beard of impressive enough size, shape, and angle that it is a safe assumption he is embarrassedly covering up his youthful fallacies. However well he performs later, his clear and disappointing lack of motivation at the stage unquestionable removes him from any serious competition. Perhaps he should have evolved a better taste sooner.
Herbert Spencer’s hair is much more impressive than Darwin’s, and certainly worth mentioning in the same sentence as his opponents, but to follow the rules explicitly, his baldness of the head, which complements his facial hair so well, is to be ignored; it is, after all, not facial hair. He is therefore left merely in the category of mutton chops, to which he must be compared with his lifelong friend, Thomas Henry Huxley. Huxley’s chops seem simultaneously bushier and wirier, and are at a laudable approximation to being perpendicular with his cheeks. Spencer, therefore, must be satisfied with an honorable mention and be eliminated, regrettably, in favor of Huxley. Solace may be taken in the fact that Spencer probably would not mind, as we are, after all, selecting the fittest and allowing them to prosper.
Huxley’s facial hair is impressively long, indeed. Unfortunately for Huxley, he is being judged against Fyodor Dostoevsky, and against such a man, long facial hair will simply not do. Dostoevsky skillfully and tactfully combines the length of Huxley’s hair upon the cheek with staggeringly long hair upon the chin. While his mustache, nothing to sneeze at itself, at first seems unnecessary and dwarfed in comparison to such a Brobdingnagian beard, one comes to realize that it subtly complements its greater cousin, classily uniting the extremes over the lip in a way that says, “I want to be casual, but I’m here for business,” all without discouraging the doubtlessly alarmed viewer. Huxley may have struggled hard to grow those mutton chops, but “Darwin’s bulldog” must go the way of Darwin.
Finalists, therefore, are Dostoevsky and Friedrich Nietzsche, both honorable and worthy opponents of each other. Due to their differing categories, moustache vs. beard, no winner is clear, and either side could be argued for. However, Nietzsche’s hirsute head is due an examination. His fauxhawk, certainly a boon in any mere “hair competition,” alas, for reasons similar to Spencer, cannot be considered. Although Dostoevsky’s beard is exponentially hairier and scarier than Nietzsche’s moustache, its opposition is proportionally just as impressive. Plump enough to extend past the tip of its bearer’s nose, the moustache is possibly the most impressive specimen that I have ever had the honor of beholding. This extreme plumposity would be enough to tie the contestants in and of itself, but a final deciding factor is included. Upon careful examination, the ends taper and curl slightly up. First of all, as the hair is enough to entirely conceal a dormant mouth, this gives the impression of his being happy to be in the presence of the viewer without revealing the effort or insincerity of such an emotion that the rest of us commoners have to expend. It gives the idea of civility, effect of virility, and boon of mobility. Therefore, although Dostoevsky’s Crime was certainly not underachievement, his Punishment is elimination. Nietzsche may claim that his facial hair is, as the criteria allow, the one that “rules.” Perhaps this honor would have cheered up his blasphemous and pessimistic life, had I only posted this about 111 years sooner.
p.s nietzsche's head hair is quite amusing, i feel that there is perhaps a french braid on top. but as far as facial hair goes- I'd have to give it to Darwin for his neanderthal brows
After reading the primary sources, I would have to say that Herbert Spencer was an individual who stood out and was most influential. According to the excerpt from Modern History Sourcebook, Herbert Spencer was contemplating evolution before Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species. Herbert strongly believed in the rights of the individuals and that there should be less government interference in the lives of the people. In Spencer’s Progress: Its Law and Cause Herbert Spencer states that the evolution of all things progress in the same way whether it be the evolution of Earth, science, or Art. Spencer specifically states, “this same evolution of the simple to the complex, through a process of continuous differentiation, holds throughout.” From this quotation, one can recognized the same concept in Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species; he, too, stated that evolution occurs because of differentiation and embraces the theory of the survival of the fittest. Spencer also discusses Progress. He says that is the progression of the homogeneous to the heterogeneous. This, too, fits in with the theory of Social Darwinism; the idea that everything looked the same but differentiations caused changes and ultimately lead to the creation of many heterogeneous species. Also, there is the belief that the government should interfere as little as possible in human affairs. He believes that Social Darwinism is a natural process that has been happening for thousands, millions of years. Therefore, Herbert Spencer had a significant influence during the approach to a new century marked by change. His ideas were reflect in and adapted from the theory of Charles Darwin.
The 20th century ushered in new thoughts and perspectives on the world. Trade and industry had expanded, and a network of communities and shared knowledge were spreading rapidly. Boundaries were being pushed both physically and mentally. Sigmund Freud brought in an exciting new approach to life and how humans can be viewed. For his influential thought, I feel that he contributed the most to important ideas as a new century was nearing. He magnified individual thought, and created a new era of psychological studies. In the twentieth century, the inner workings of the individual became a priority, and something people craved to comprehend. His theories on the subconscious, as well as psychotherapy have allowed people to solve their mental problems and move forward with their lives in order to contribute successfully to society and help other people. He also researched mental conditions that inspired others to study them and make more advances. Despite antisemitism in his time, Freud, a Jew, was still able to spread his ideas and make great discoveries. His theory of having patients talk out their issues caught great attention and is now used widely as a way to analyze issues and move past them. Freud’s many essays and theories are now studied globally. Freud pushed the frontiers of studying the mind, which is what drives society. And I am a fan of Herbert Spencer’s facial hair. It looks so dignified.
Having to choose between the men and women on this list caused me to really review the specific impacts each of them played during their life. To make my decision I had to choose someone who I share the same beliefs with, and this is Herbert Spencer. Spencer, an English sociologist made significant impacts in biology, sociology, psychology, and philosophy. Perhaps he is most well embraced for his theory of evolution, standing alongside Charles Darwin’s Social Darwinism concerning natural selection. Spencer reviewed the work of Darwin and characterized his findings as survival of the fittest. Spencer believed that the lower species are constantly evolving to become higher species within their eco systems, but are unable to do so. He stated that in a natural process, the weak decline while the strong prosper. This exact concept is what creates success within communities. Spencer argued that we must leave this natural process alone. He understood that the poor would be poor and the weak would be weak. Let it be he argued. The strife to prosper is what progresses society forward. I completely agree with Spencer in the fact that we can’t change what is destiny. Unfortunately, Spencer’s ideas to allow the weak to fail sparked interest among racist people, mainly the upper class. However, Herbert Spencer’s concepts and ideas are still represented today within society, which in my opinion makes him extremely influential.
After choosing Herbert Spencer, I have to side with his facial hair.
Emile Zola contributed the most influential thoughts at the end of the 19th century. She talked extensively in her novel Germinal about the dangerous working conditions of the time period. Zola also exposed to the rest of the world the disasters which were common during the industrial revolution.
As time goes on the rights and ability of workers becomes the most politically important topic. Many workers begin to demand the right to unionize. The workers want to improve the conditions that they work in, and they want to make more money. All of this will improve their lives. Improving the conditions for workers will also increase the ability for those workers to contribute to society. These workers will be able to buy more products and that will increase the economic power of the country. Today the way workers are treated is one of the most important ways to measure how developed a country is.
Arguments still exist today about the ability of workers to organize. One example is the flight attendant union for British Airways. Many people are beginning to question whether they should be allowed to strike since it causes the airline to be unable to operate and affects the lives of so many different people. Another example is whether public employees should be able to unionize. The debate is currently very active in Wisconsin and other GOP controlled states. This will be how our generation responds to the same question raised by Zola over a hundred years earlier.
I believe that Herbert Spencer made a rather large, significant, impact on modern thought for the 20th and even the 21st centuries with his concept of Social Darwinism. Much based on Charles Darwin’s theories on evolution circumventing the areas on how the ones who adapt best to the environment survive (natural selection). This was eventually twisted to fit into a mold for a scale measuring people against other people with social status’s. That the poor deserve to suffer because they are inferior to those who are rich and wealthy. That the poor just weren’t “fit” enough to prosper and therefore they are put low onto the chain. And the rich stay above because they are doing the right things for their own betterment, for their “survival”. And as primitive this perspective may seem we still see it today in our society. There have been disputes on whether to increase taxes by a percentage to increase state funded unemployment insurance. There are arguments that go along the lines of “I have earned this money for myself. It is the person’s fault for losing their job and it is their responsibility to get a new one if possible. If not too bad.” Most likely a wealthy person who has no interest in paying more taxes would say such a thing. Now not all rich people aren’t magnanimous, but that is a mindset that is still current today that reflects the bias perspective of Social Darwinism. From Social Darwinism and it’s grading of people it eventually led to racism and superiority of races through nations. That the success of a nation defines how much superior that nationality or race is compared to all the ones below it. This idea led to Nazism in the 1940s with Hitler and it yielded to the massacre of tens of thousands of Jews. Now even though Nazism is over and we know with hindsight that what had happened is wrong, there is still racism and bias between nationalities. Perhaps not anymore in the form where one country is dominating another but in a form where bias is produced from what a nation’s wealth, history, beliefs, and accomplishments are compared to the others. And it is this grading and classifying which abstains us from coexisting with one another. And regarding the facial hair, Friedrich Nietzche has the best facial hair. It just expresses dominance, sophistication, intelligence, and just give a fiery vibe to itself. Also it probably needs to be combed to keep the epicocity of itself in a frame like display.
This list had a bunch of people who all have a fundamental amount of significance. However, Mary Wollstonecraft did a great amount of work in different fields. She was an influential writer, having written Vindications on the Rights of Men and Vindications on the Rights of Women as well as various novels centering on women. Wollstonecraft was a very dedicated women’s rights activist as well as a writer. A feminist in the 18th century the author was criticized by many people who wished to stick to traditional roles. Even women attacked her; Maria Edgeworth saw Wollstonecraft’s ideals as far too revolutionary. Mary advocated gender equality and reasoned that differences in men and women were mainly due to educational limits. In the late 18th century the feminist movement was only just starting to pick up strength so Wollstonecraft was attacked for her opinions. She was influential because she challenged the stereotypes that directly affected her as a person. Many of the other people listed were highly educated and did not have a direct connection to what they were studying. For example, Emile Zola never once worked in a coal mine but still wrote Germinal with what he thought was a clear perception. Wollstonecraft was directly affected by the political issues she took; therefore she should be credited with having the most influence. The activist attacked the policies of her time and was not afraid of the repercussions. She is still significant today for her works that provide a broad perspective on the equality of men and women.
I feel that Soren Kierkegaard has contributed the most important development in philosophy during this era, for he he laid a strong foundation from whence the atheist sentiment would arrive. Kierkeggard was founded the idea of extensialism, and also pushed the idea of subjective over objective understanding. The concept of subjective, or personal, understanding plays a strong part in many atheist ideologies. An example I have encountered is that atheists criticize the Roman Catholic Church for laying out strict rules for the lives of the faithful, and ofthen state how it is better to "live by their own rules." This here is an example of a subjective idea, in which a personal choice should take precedence over an accepted dogma. In this modern age, religion is frequently under attack as attempting to brainwash its followers. People would rather live lives independant of an accepted moral resraint and choose instead to live by their own morals. This can be traced back to his subjective truth, in which truth is defined solely upon the individual. When dealing with a Church that sees itself as the moral anchor and compass for its foloowers, a statemnt of subjective truth is an effective tool against said religion. This world has become increasingly secular; the bonds of religion have lost their appeal, and an attack of rebellion against these religious witholdings can be found within the work of Soren Kierkegaard.
Also, Dostoevesky's beard is a masterpiece.
In my opinion the most significant and influential figure of all the possibilities is Herbert Spencer and his advocacy and foundation of Social Darwinism. He can definitely be considered a trailblazer because he was willing to voice his opinions on evolution, which was a very controversial topic at the time, which also had a lot of opposition. As history illustrates, people don’t often like new scientific theories that prove all their previous knowledge wrong, because it causes them to doubt their entire belief system. Spencer was not intimidated to think a certain way though, which allowed him to come up with his borderline radical ideas about social evolution. He introduced to society the idea that progress comes from survival. In order to succeed in the world one had to be the smartest and strongest. Those would be able to survive and expand, while the weakest would suffer. Here he was able to relate the evolution of society to the evolution of man as a whole. He also stresses the importance of individuality and how one’s individual strengths and unfortunate weaknesses can be the deciding factors in whether they survive. I think Herbert Spencer’s ability to relate society as a whole to the progressive concept of evolution is the most significant. I also really like the mustache on nietzche.
The 19th century was a time of significant figures, which included Sigmund Freud, Oscar Wilde and Louis Pasteur. I feel, however, that the most significant figure was Herbert Spencer and his role in creating Social Darwinism. Charles Darwin first described his theory of evolution and how the species that can most readily adapt to the changing environment will be able to survive, while the species that cannot thrive in the environment will eventually wear out. Using Darwin’s theories about evolution and the survival of the fittest, Herbert Spencer applied the concepts to society; only the strongest and most fit civilizations can survive. The strong are able to grow more powerful and expand, while at the same time, the weak become weaker as the stronger grow. Spencer used this to associate social class and race. He states that governments should not hinder the progress of citizens, because they should rise/fall in social class accordingly. This advocates a laissez-faire policy so that people can make decisions themselves. This changed the way people viewed the world; the fit people were the ones who could adapt to the constantly changing environment. This idea was well liked by the top of the social class, who were wealthy, because it made the lower class seem like they belonged there. This thought process also led to increased racism. Because this idea promoted having levels of superiority among races, people began to try to become the most fit race. An example of this is the Nazi regime and their thought that Aryans were the strongest, so they had to rid the world of Jewish people. Although Spencer’s Social Darwinism didn’t yield completely good results, it was still very significant, nonetheless.
And Huxley has the best facial hair, hands down :D :D :D
Of the many important figures on the list, I believe that Sigmund Freud contributed the most significant thoughts to the new century. His development of the study of psychoanalysis contributed much to the time period, and even more to the future studies of modern generations. His studies enabled patients to be better understood, and thus better treated for their mental ailments. He published many books that increased public interest in his field, and thus a greater emphasis of its importance. Freud helped us see the importance of psychology, and also his discoveries helped advance the field to an extreme degree.
In addition to Freud’s importance, we also notice the importance of Spencer Herbert’s facial hair. Not did his important advancements as we approached a new century lead us into that new age, but his muttonchops speak for themselves. Not to ignore all of the other important men whose facial hair also rocks, of course, I’m just mentioning that Herbert’s is my personal favorite. I can only hope that Mr. Kirby, or perhaps Patrick, will pursue in his monumental footsteps with such dramatic expression of curliness.
As the world aproached the twentieth century, it saw a boom in innovations and discoveries. The time period saw some of its most prominent scientists and thinkers who contributed to various disciplines such as physical science, psychology, and religion. Of all these revolutionary individuals, the most influential was Louis Pasteur.
Pasteur was a French microbiologest and chemist. His influence stems from his work in microbiology and studies in diseases. The catalyst for his work was his scienfic proof of the germ theory of disease. Through controled experiments with bacteria broths, he disproved spontaneous generation. Organisms came from an outside source and could not come form inanimate objects. In the years preceding his work, this was widely believed with. From this came pasteurization. Pasteur found that the spoiling of beverages was caused by bacteria naturally found in the environment. Therefore, he created the process called pasteurization which in essence slowed the reactions of the bacteria with the beverage. Today, this is a widely used process required by the Food and Drug Administration. Despite the significance of this process, his most monumentous work was the development and use of vaccines. From the germ theory of disease, Pastuer found that that diseases were caused by microbes. To prevent these, he infected a person with a weak strain of the microbe. This proved to be effective and was used to protect people from diseases such as rabies. At the time it was an extremely revolutionary idea, but today it is a fundamental component of modern medicine. As we know, vaccines are required to get into numerous things, such as school and sports, and are distrubuted yearly to prevent the flu. In summation, Pasteur was the most influential individual of his time since his innovations are fundamental parts of today's society and our lifestyles.
Despite his influence however, it is evident that his facial hair pales in comparison to that of Thomas Henry Huxley.
I feel that out of all of these significant figures the one individual that contributed the most important ideals and thoughts at the approach of the new century was Louis Pasteur. His work within the his founded field of microbiology allowed for a massive transformation in the way that humans lived during the time period and his work has significantly impacted the way that we live today. Everyone today recognizes that a lot of products that we use in our daily lives are “pasteurized” which means that they harbor disease causing pathogens in our food and drinks. With out Pasteur’s work with the creation of this process, people may have not been able to keep milk and apple juice the way that they do now.
The other major contribution from Pasteur that affects us today is that he was able to discover the modern germ theory. This I would say is probably in the top five medical discoveries of all time. Pasteur’s work in this respect led to the advancement in vaccination that has all but wiped out some deadly diseases such as polio. The fact that most people take for granted the knowledge that washing hands frequently stops the spread of diseases is a tribute to Louis Pasteur’s work.
Friedrich Nietzsche definitely had the best hair. It looks like there is a cat on his face.
In my honest opinion, Herbert Spencer is the most influential person on the list of significant figures. Like Darwin he put his reputation on the line for ideas that he believed in. He was the original creator of the idea of survival of the fittest which Darwin took, and it means that the biggest and strongest of the species prevail. He used this idea and applied it to his society. For example he explains low class people that have low income and are just scraping by to survive probably will not survive. However the upper class s would have an easier time surviving because they have all they need to survive due to their wealth. His reasoning also lead to racism by applying survival of the fittest to races and that some races are superior than others. His contribution to social darwinsm is most evident through his views on survival of the fittest. Also Huxley has the best facial hair out of all of them period.
The 19th into the 20th century certainly had it's fill of amazing and significant characters and it is only through the combinations of the works of everyone that the early 20th century became what it was, an amazing century of yes, much turmoil, but much more growth in all aspects. Although a variety of different people greatly contricbuted to this, to me, the one with the most innovative and impacting theories was Sigmund Frued. Frued tried to tackle what few have had before. His ideas were new and original, unlike that of Herbert Spencer who only based his theories off the work of Darwin. He attempted to understand the mind of the human being and use that to explain the society happenings of the century. His theories on the Id, Ego, and Superego, and how they each contributed to our actions and how our minds are a constant battlefield between the ego and superego verses the passionate Id may not have been entirely correct but they certainly helped to open a whole new field of study. Frued was a pioneer in his research and did not merely continue the works of previous thinkers. His theories on dreams, from his book "Interpretation of Dreams" show innovative and expansive thinking. He theorized that the dreams allowed us to open our subconscious minds and grasp what one is usually unable to (like the the Inception!). In psychology today, he is considered one of the earlest entreprenuers in this category, and all modern ideas of psychology have roots back to his earliest theories.He lead the science field of psycoanalysis. So of all the great people during this time period, Sigmund Frued definitely played a drastically significant role.
I find that I like Herbert Spencer's facial hair the best. Not only is it grown wierdly out of the sides of his cheeks but he has more hair on his face than his head. He has quite the comical haircut.
One man included on this list that introduced groundbreaking ideas in the new century over social propriety, who also happens to be one of my favourite playwrights, goes by the name of Oscar Wilde. Born in 1854 and meeting a tragic end in 1900, Wilde spent his life as a diverse writer, delving into various types of poetry, plays, and novels. His witty criticism elevated him to a lofty position in European society during the 1880's-90's, but he took his tumble towards a doomed death with his trial over "gross indecencies" - that is, homosexual acts. He became the first prevalent figure in the movement for gay rights, as a martyr and hero for the cause.
His works and styles of clothing displayed his flamboyant nature in an understated, accepted way in society that was even copied by others. His obvious love for another man, Lord Alfred Douglas, led to a government case against him for sodomy, which Wilde went against by suing, and lost. His public moral image and credibility were lost alongside the case. Oscar Wilde was originally viewed only for the consequences of homosexuality during that time and criticized greatly, even by hidden homosexuals, but towards the mid 20th century he was revived in a sympathetic light. Wilde was finally seen as a historical icon for the movement of gay rights post-era, he being the true symbol of a brilliant man suffering in fear of his fate for being true to himself. He impacted society in a dramatic way that people were not ready to handle, and only later were able to appreciate.
“Out with the Old” could not be truer in this case. All of these men were progressive in terms of thought. These men were faced with obstacles put forth by authority and those afraid of change but that didn’t discourage them in any way. They pushed forward because they new they had something. In my opinion Herbert Spencer is the most important of these men. Given his theory on Social Darwinism, this is hard to deny. His ideas applied Darwin’s ideas on natural selection and evolution to people and society as a whole. He saw that society was evolving toward individual freedoms and called for less governmental intervention in people’s lives. Spencer believed that Progress came from the people and that this Progress came from experience the people gained throughout life.
“It is settled beyond dispute that organic progress consists in a change from the homogeneous to the heterogeneous.” What he is describing here is huge and very progressive. He saying that rather than focusing on society as a whole, they needed to focus on the individual, because individuals were now become the face of the world. Spencer wanted a laissez-faire form of government to let people become who they were and succeed or fail based on “survival of the fittest”. He believed that the fight to survive in society should not be aided in any way by the government, e.g. no aid for the poor. If you are going to succeed you are going to do it on your own… and that is Progress in itself.
These ideas spread around the world and obviously had a huge impact making him the most influential of the group.
Mutton chops will always hold a special place in my heart. However, while Thomas Henry had the best mutton chops and help contribute some new ideas to this turn of the century, he is not my most favorite contributor. That would be Herbert Spencer and his semi-awesome mutton chops. His main contribution was the refinement and suggestions of new ideas that advanced Charles Darwin's ideas on evolution and natural selection. He also coined the very popular phrase "survival of the fittest," which most people associate with Darwin. Spencer took the rough ideas created by Darwin and reformed them into a more understandable shape. Though Darwin gets most of the credit, I believe that Spencer did just as much to advance the field and receive more followers. He was even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in Literature in 1902, when he was at the prime of his popularity. He not only advanced the field of evolution, as he also contributed to synthetic philosophy, sociology, ethics, agnosticism, political views and Social Darwinism, and his more general influence on general literature. His famous belief that individuals needed to adapt and evolve in order to survive a constantly changing environment and population gained him worldwide praise and respect. He also took a strong stance against government, as he believed that all people should have the opportunity to live the life the way they please, and that their social factors should not radically change. With all of these innovations, Spencer should be a household name even today, but he was forced to share the spotlight with Darwin. IN any other time he would have been victorious.
In my opinion Louis Pasteur was the most important person. His discoveries in the field of medicine were outstanding. His work with vaccines was especially helpful. And his works would inspire others and so he started a chain reaction, a jump start in the medical field. Pasteurization is also something he is well known for. Making dairy products safer would have been especially useful in his time. He also disproved spontaneous generation and discovered that germs were the main problem. So all thanks to Pasteur I can have a good glass of milk and can be safer from diseases.
Thomas Henry Huxley has the best hair of them all.
Not in, TOO LATE!!!!
I think that the most influential of the philosophers of the nineteenth century was Herbert Spencer and his ideas of Social Darwinism. I think that this may be the most influential; idea because of the fact that it could be used to explain how people could become rich and successful in the world, without having been born into nobility. I think that Spencer’s work in describing how people lives can “evolve” and change by being the most successful embraced Darwin’s theories of evolution of survival of the fittest and tied it into human society, setting a precedent for success. Spencer supported limited government involvement and a system of capitalism that would let the strongest, most ruthless competitors come out on top and the weaker men would not. It helped to expand the industrial revolution as people embraced this idea, and no one wanted to be at the bottom, creating a race to the top that would lead to great innovations, changing the world forever.
I believe the figure who contributed the most significant thoughts to the new coming century was Herbert Spencer on Social Darwinism. After reading the article and excerpts on his reading, his philosophies portray a very new and different way of thinking about the development of society. Be speaks of a baby as simple and barbaric; through maturity, comes a complex individual. He then compares the seed of a tree to the embryo of a human, and the similarities in growth and development. Instead of looking upon society as a whole, he stresses the importance of the individual and leads this to the complexity of the social system. The main idea of his theory was that the strong minded and bodied would thrive and expand, whereas the weak would parish. Spencer takes Darwin’s theory, and brings in a physiological component into which connects the human mind to the structure of society. This new way of bringing two types of science together to form a new philosophy is an extremely new way of thinking for this time period, which is why Social Darwinism was such an interesting topic for civilians. But, this theory also leads to a more justified interpretation of racism. When taking over Africa, the British were the supremacy whereas the African people were tossed aside like dirt. The Social Darwin theory allowed the domination of Britain across the world, and in later centuries brought upon leaders such as Hitler whom believed races could in fact be superior.
I feel that out of all the important men on page#28, Louis Pasteur stands out the most. His thoughts and ideas were revolutionary for the new century. Many people disagreed with him and he was also criticized. He was a chemist a chemist and mirobiologist. He had discovered many things. He found the field of microbiology in which sciences are making further discoveries today. He is most known for inventing the process of pasteurization. Pasteurization is a process in which a beverage or a type of food is heated up to a certain temperature to kill microorganisms that could cause disease, undesired fermentation, or spoilage. This helped people from catching diseases or other kinds of infections. He also disproved the theory of spontaneous generation. His experiments to disprove the theory are still the most convincing around the world. He proved that the emergent of bacteria in broth is not because of spontaneous generation but because of biogenesis. He found a new theory called the germ theory of disease, basically stating that micro-organisms are the main cause of diseases. He also made many discoveries in chemistry. He discovered the molecular basis for the assymetry of particular crystals that are studied by scientists today. Due to his extensive knowledge in science, he was able to find cures for rabies, anthrax, silkworm, and cholera. His research and discoveries saved many soldiers in the Franco-German war as he told the military that microbes were cause of death and they prevented it through sterilization of medical instruments. His discoveries and ideas were groundbreaking. They changed the world and laid the foundatin for future scientists to build upon.
Nietzsche has the best facial hair because of his cool stach. He beats everyone else.
The most significant thoughts were contributed in the approach of the new century by Sigmund Freud. The neurologist did significant work unlocking the human psyche and produced revolutionary ideas to psychology. Freud’s most significant work was his development of the field of psychoanalysis. Freud developed methods of diagnosing psychosis and treating such as the pressure technique. Freud also realised that the unconscious is crucial to understanding people’s behavior. People keep unwanted memories repressed in their unconscious and Freud documented methods of gaining access to the different levels of unconscious. Freud categorized the human psyche and what drives it. He did further work with the psychology behind sex and religion as well. These thoughts were significant because of their impact on society. Modern psychotherapy is heavily based off of Freud’s work. Freud’s work with psychoanalysis was a major contribution to the science behind the mind and was a bold look at arising questions at the turn of the century.
First of all, I would like to complain about Blogs being due Friday afternoon. I always forget to do them. Now on to the question.
The most influential person in the coming of the 20th Century was Herbert Spencer, and his theory on Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism was very influential because of the spreading and evolution of capitalism. Developed before Darwin published his book, On the Origin of Species, his philosophy focused on how the individual improved society. He believed that people and society were evolving to be more independent and free. He believed that one would develop based on his actions, meaning any interference with his life, would change his evolutionary process of the individual. If someone was to fail at life, they would have to suffer the consequences. This is commonly called the survival of the fittest, and is often used to describe capitalism. Those who work hard succeed will live life to the fullest and those who slack of will not. This has been very influential even in current day, with the exception of government interference, such as welfare. Spencer was incredibly influential in his day as well, selling a million of books, which at a time was very rare.
As for who has the best facial hair, it is Friedrich Nietzsche, because nothing is better than an “epic stache,” and he has the most epic mustache of all time.
As the world approached the nineteenth century, many great minds declared new and groudbreaking ideas, proposing revolutionary concepts and a promise for positive change. Of these, Herbert Spencer stands out as the most significant thinker of the time, due to his large belief in and advocacy of Social Darwinism. A huge supporter of this theory, he transposed Darwin’s theory of evolution on to the masses at large. He believer, as in evolution, that those individuals and communities that are more capable to adapt would survive in a changing world, whereas those who could not keep up, would be left behind. His theories and beliefs altered the ways people perceived culture and progress in humanity, leaving a lasting impact on the world. Spencer also believed that government should interfere at a minimum with society, as to leave Social Darwinism to act without interference. A darker connection to his theories, nazi beliefs in Aryan dominance is based on the conceptual standpoints of Social Darwinism. In addition to these accomplishments, Spencer was also very influential person in fields such as biology, economics, sociology, philosophy, as well as many more. As far as facial hair goes, Nietzchse gets my vote hands down.
Post a Comment