Tuesday, October 23, 2007

In the uncivilized state the stress of life was chiefly



physical
In the uncivilized state the stress of life was chiefly
physical. The civilized man has to a large degree reversed this
old order, in that the use of the body is incidental in his
work, the stress being placed upon the brain. He piles his life
high with complexities and in place of life being for
necessities, and they few and simple, it is largely for
comforts which we call necessities, and Professor Huxley has
said that the struggle for comforts is more cruel than the
struggle for existence.




On the whole, either there exist no moral instincts, or they are



undistinguishable from prejudices and habits, and are not to be trusted
in moral reasonings
On the whole, either there exist no moral instincts, or they are
undistinguishable from prejudices and habits, and are not to be trusted
in moral reasonings. Aristotle held it as self-evident that barbarians
are meant to be slaves; so do our modern slave-traders. This instance
is one of many to show that the convenience of the parties has much to
do with the rise of a moral sentiment. And every system built upon
instincts is more likely to find excuses for existing opinions and
practices than to reform either.




Everything thus turns upon practice: and Aristotle reminds us that his



purpose here is, not simply to teach what virtue is, but to produce
virtuous agents
Everything thus turns upon practice: and Aristotle reminds us that his
purpose here is, not simply to teach what virtue is, but to produce
virtuous agents. How are we to know what the practice should be? It
must be conformable to right reason: every one admits this, and we
shall explain it further in a future book. But let us proclaim at
once, that in regard to moral action, as in regard to health, no exact
rules can be laid down. Amidst perpetual variability, each agent must
in the last resort be guided by the circumstances of the case. Still,
however, something may be done to help him. Here Aristotle proceeds to
introduce the famous doctrine of the MEAN. We may err, as regards
health, both by too much and by too little of exercise, food, or
drink. The same holds good in regard to temperance, courage, and the
other excellences (II.).




Monday, October 22, 2007

The condition is one which should be treated by a physician or surgeon,



and not by a shoemaker
The condition is one which should be treated by a physician or surgeon,
and not by a shoemaker. The ordinary arch supports supplied by
shoemakers do not cure flat foot. Shoes for such feet should be made to
order, and have a straight internal edge.




INSTINCTS AS STARTING POINTS



INSTINCTS AS STARTING POINTS.--Most of our habits have their rise in
instincts, and all desirable instincts should be seized upon and
transformed into habits before they fade away. Says James in his
remarkable chapter on Instinct: 'In all pedagogy the great thing is to
strike while the iron is hot, and to seize the wave of the pupils"
interest in each successive subject before its ebb has come, so that
knowledge may be got and a habit of skill acquired--a headway of
interest, in short, secured, on which afterwards the individual may
float. There is a happy moment for fixing skill in drawing, for making
boys collectors in natural history, and presently dissectors and
botanists; then for initiating them into the harmonies of mechanics and
the wonders of physical and chemical law. Later, introspective
psychology and the metaphysical and religious mysteries take their turn;
and, last of all, the drama of human affairs and worldly wisdom in the
widest sense of the term. In each of us a saturation point is soon
reached in all these things; the impetus of our purely intellectual zeal
expires, and unless the topic is associated with some urgent personal
need that keeps our wits constantly whetted about it, we settle into an
equilibrium, and live on what we learned when our interest was fresh and
instinctive, without adding to the store.'




Sunday, October 21, 2007

It should be said that a few astronomers doubt whether the



order of evolution is so clearly defined as I have outlined it;
in fact, whether we know even the main trend of the
evolutionary process
It should be said that a few astronomers doubt whether the
order of evolution is so clearly defined as I have outlined it;
in fact, whether we know even the main trend of the
evolutionary process. We occasionally encounter the opinion
that the subject is still so unsettled as not to let us say
whether the helium stars are effectively young or the red stars
are effectively old. Lockyer and Russell have proposed
hypotheses in which the order of evolutionary sequence begins
with comparatively cool red stars and proceeds through the
yellow stars to the very hot blue stars, and thence back
through the yellow stars to cool red stars.




Tuesday, the twenty-fifth of September saw the end of a life



full of promise; one more name, that of Jesse W
Tuesday, the twenty-fifth of September saw the end of a life
full of promise; one more name, that of Jesse W. Lazear, was
graven upon the portals of immortality. And we may feel justly
proud for having had it, in any way, associated with our own.




Reid illustrates his positions against Hume to a length unnecessary to



follow
Reid illustrates his positions against Hume to a length unnecessary to
follow. The objections are exclusively and effectively aimed at the two
unguarded points of the Utility system as propounded by Hume; namely,
first, the not recognizing moral rules as established and enforced
among men by the dictation of authority, which does not leave to
individuals the power of reference to ultimate ends; and, secondly, the
not distinguishing between obligatory, and non-obligatory, useful acts.




He complains that, in the enquiry as to the foundation of morals, the



two distinct questions--as to the Standard and the Faculty--have seldom
been fully discriminated
He complains that, in the enquiry as to the foundation of morals, the
two distinct questions--as to the Standard and the Faculty--have seldom
been fully discriminated. Thus, Paley opposes Utility to a Moral Sense,
not perceiving that the two terms relate to different subjects; and
Bentham repeats the mistake. It is possible to represent Utility as the
_criterion_ of Right, and a Moral Sense as the _faculty_. In another
place, he remarks that the schoolmen failed to draw the distinction.




There seems very little doubt that the home of smallpox was



somewhere on the continent of Africa, although it is true that
there are traditions pointing to its existence in Hindustan at
least 1000 B
There seems very little doubt that the home of smallpox was
somewhere on the continent of Africa, although it is true that
there are traditions pointing to its existence in Hindustan at
least 1000 B.C. One Hindu account alludes to an ointment for
removing the cicatrices of eruption. Africa has certainly for
long been a prolific source of it: every time a fresh batch of
slaves was brought over to the United States of America there
was a fresh outbreak of smallpox.[2] It seems that the first
outbreak in Europe in the Christian era was in the latter half
of the sixth century, when it traveled from Arabia, visiting
Egypt on the way. The earliest definite statements about it
come from Arabia and are contained in an Arabic manuscript now
in the University of Leyden, which refers to the years A.D. 570
and 571. There is a good deal of evidence that the Arabs
introduced smallpox into Egypt at the sacking of Alexandria in
A.D. 640. Pilgrims and merchants distributed it throughout
Syria and Palestine and along the north of Africa; then,
crossing the Mediterranean, they took it over to Italy. The
Moors introduced it into Spain whence, via Portugal, Navarre,
Languedoc and Guienne it was carried into western and northern
Europe. The earliest physician to describe smallpox is Ahrun, a
Christian Egyptian, who wrote in Greek. He lived in Alexandria
from A.D. 610 to 641. The first independent treatise on the
disease was by the famous Arabian physician, Rhazes, who wrote
in Syriac in 920 A.D., but his book has been translated into
both Greek and Latin. The first allusion to smallpox in English
is in an Anglo-Saxon manuscript of the early part of the tenth
century; the passage is interesting--'Against pockes: very much
shall one let blood and drink a bowl full of melted butter; if
they [pustules] strike out, one should dig each with a thorn
and then drop one-year alder drink in, then they will not be
seen,' this was evidently to prevent the pitting dreaded even
at so early a date. Smallpox was first described in Germany in
1493, and appeared in Sweden first in 1578.




Saturday, October 20, 2007

Reading is at once an imitative and an appreciative art on the part of



the pupil
Reading is at once an imitative and an appreciative art on the part of
the pupil. He must be trained to appreciate the meaning of the writer;
but he will depend upon the teacher at first, and, indeed, for a long
time, for an example of the true mode of expression. This the teacher
must be ready to give. It is not enough that she can correct faults of
pronunciation, censure inarticulate utterances, and condemn gruff,
nasal, and guttural sounds; but she must be able to present, in
reasonable purity, all the opposite qualities. The young women have not
yet done their duty to the cause of education in these respects; nor is
there everywhere a public sentiment that will even now allow the duty to
be performed.




And now, ladies and gentlemen, before I conclude, allow me to remove, or



at least to lessen, an impression that these remarks are calculated to
produce
And now, ladies and gentlemen, before I conclude, allow me to remove, or
at least to lessen, an impression that these remarks are calculated to
produce. I have assumed that teaching is a profession--an arduous
profession--and that perfection has not yet been attained. I have
assumed, also, that there are many persons engaged in teaching,
especially in the primary and mixed district schools, whose
qualifications are not as great as they ought to be. But let it not be
thence inferred that I am dissatisfied with our teachers and schools.
There has been continual progress in education, and a large share of
this progress is due to teachers; but the time has not yet come when we
can wisely fold our arms, and accept the allurements of undisturbed
repose.




Friday, October 19, 2007

Prior to the middle of the 16th Century, the use of tobacco was confined



to the American Indians
Prior to the middle of the 16th Century, the use of tobacco was confined
to the American Indians. In 1560 the Spaniards began to cultivate
tobacco as an ornamental plant, and Jean Nicot, the French Ambassador at
Lisbon, introduced it at the court of Catherine de Medici in the form of
snuff. Smoking subsequently became a custom which spread rapidly
throughout the world, although often vigorously opposed by Governments.
In the 17th Century, smoker"s noses were cut off in Russia.




Wednesday, October 17, 2007

9



9. Irregularities in the direction of the plumb-line and in the
force of gravity as observed widely and accurately over the
Earth"s surface indicate that the surface strata are very
irregular as to density. To harmonize the observed facts
Hayford has shown the need of assuming that the heterogeneous
conditions extend down to a depth of 122 km. from the surface.
Below that level the Earth"s concentric strata seem to be of
approximately uniform densities.




Tuesday, October 16, 2007

The shortest way of summarizing the position is to say that woman



stands for the idea of Sanity; that intellectual home to which
the mind must return after every excursion on extravagance
The shortest way of summarizing the position is to say that woman
stands for the idea of Sanity; that intellectual home to which
the mind must return after every excursion on extravagance.
The mind that finds its way to wild places is the poet"s;
but the mind that never finds its way back is the lunatic"s. There must
in every machine be a part that moves and a part that stands still;
there must be in everything that changes a part that is unchangeable.
And many of the phenomena which moderns hastily condemn are really parts
of this position of the woman as the center and pillar of health.
Much of what is called her subservience, and even her pliability,
is merely the subservience and pliability of a universal remedy;
she varies as medicines vary, with the disease. She has
to be an optimist to the morbid husband, a salutary pessimist
to the happy-go-lucky husband. She has to prevent the Quixote
from being put upon, and the bully from putting upon others.
The French King wrote--




Monday, October 15, 2007

DEATH RATE PER 1000 IN DENMARK BY AGE GROUPS 1880-1889--1890-1900



--------+-------------------++-------------------
| 1880-1889 || 1890-1900
Ages +---------+---------++---------+---------
| Males | Females || Males | Females
--------+---------+---------++---------+---------
0-5 | 53
DEATH RATE PER 1000 IN DENMARK BY AGE GROUPS 1880-1889--1890-1900
--------+-------------------++-------------------
| 1880-1889 || 1890-1900
Ages +---------+---------++---------+---------
| Males | Females || Males | Females
--------+---------+---------++---------+---------
0-5 | 53.1 | 46.0 || 48.5 | 40.8
5-10 | 7.2 | 7.7 || 5.6 | 6.0
10-15 | 4.4 | 5.6 || 3.6 | 4.6
15-20 | 4.9 | 5.8 || 4.5 | 4.7
20-25 | 7.0 | 6.1 || 6.0 | 4.9
25-30 | 6.5 | 7.4 || 5.5 | 5.6
30-35 | 6.8 | 7.9 || 6.1 | 6.5
35-40 | 7.8 | 8.4 || 7.7 | 7.5
40-45 | 9.8 | 9.3 || 9.3 | 8.2
45-50 | 12.6 | 10.2 || 11.6 | 9.1
50-55 | 16.8 | 12.2 || 15.7 | 11.8
55-60 | 22.6 | 17.0 || 22.0 | 16.4
60-65 | 33.3 | 26.1 || 30.7 | 24.2
65-70 | 46.9 | 39.2 || 44.7 | 36.7
70-75 | 70.0 | 58.3 || 74.5 | 65.0
75-80 | 104.9 | 92.9 || 115.0 | 98.9
80-85 | 178.7 | 157.4 || 169.4 | 151.6
85-90 | 246.7 | 210.9 || 250.1 | 226.5
90-over| 392.3 | 350.1 || 425.6 | 373.2
--------+---------+---------++---------+---------




Sunday, October 14, 2007

The last and most elevated form of Stoical happiness was the



satisfaction of contemplating the Universe and God
The last and most elevated form of Stoical happiness was the
satisfaction of contemplating the Universe and God. Epictetus says,
that we can accommodate ourselves cheerfully to the providence that
rules the world, if we possess two things--the power of seeing all that
happens in the proper relation to its own purpose--and a grateful
disposition. The work of Antoninus is full of studies of Nature in the
devout spirit of "passing from Nature up to Nature"s God;" he is never
weary of expressing his thorough contentment with the course of natural
events, and his sense of the beauties and fitness of everything. Old
age has its grace, and death is the becoming termination. This high
strain of exulting contemplation reconciled him to that complete
submission to whatever might befall, which was the essential feature of
the "Life according to Nature," as he conceived it.




Alexander the Second, the emancipator of forty-six million



serfs, may have had some world peace ideal in mind when he in
1874 promoted a conference in Brussels to codify the usages of
war, but the reaction from his earlier liberalism was setting
in about this time and, growing worse, led to his assassination
in 1881
Alexander the Second, the emancipator of forty-six million
serfs, may have had some world peace ideal in mind when he in
1874 promoted a conference in Brussels to codify the usages of
war, but the reaction from his earlier liberalism was setting
in about this time and, growing worse, led to his assassination
in 1881.




THE QUALITIES OF OBJECTS EXIST IN THE MIND



THE QUALITIES OF OBJECTS EXIST IN THE MIND.--Yet even in the relatively
simple description which we have proposed many puzzles confront us, and
one of them appears at the very outset. This is that the qualities which
we usually ascribe to objects really exist in our own minds and not in
the objects at all. Take, for instance, the common qualities of light
and color. The physicist tells us that what we see as light is
occasioned by an incredibly rapid beating of ether waves on the retina
of the eye. All space is filled with this ether; and when it is
light--that is, when some object like the sun or other light-giving body
is present--the ether is set in motion by the vibrating molecules of the
body which is the source of light, its waves strike the retina, a
current is produced and carried to the brain, and we see light. This
means, then, that space, the medium in which we see objects, is not
filled with light (the sensation), but with very rapid waves of ether,
and that the light which we see really occurs in our own minds as the
mental response to the physical stimulus of ether waves. Likewise with
color. Color is produced by ether waves of different lengths and degrees
of rapidity.




Saturday, October 13, 2007

As a preface to the account of the Ethical Systems, and a principle of



arrangement, for the better comparing of them, we shall review in
order the questions that arise in the discussion
As a preface to the account of the Ethical Systems, and a principle of
arrangement, for the better comparing of them, we shall review in
order the questions that arise in the discussion.