Even though the Two Treatises of Government was published anonymously in the year 1689, the Editor of this book's edition, Peter Laslett, argues that Even though the Two Treatises of Government was published anonymously in the year 1689, the Editor of this book's edition, Peter Laslett, argues that the two Treatises were written between the years of 1679-1683, well before the publishing and The Glorious Revolution of 1688-89. Furthermore, Laslett claims that the Second Treatise was written first, and the First Treatise, second, while there remains a possibility of a missing, third part. Challenging times for writers and freethinkers.
The First Treatise is devoted to refuting Sir Robert Filmer's defense of monarchy and patriarchalism, in which property, women, and children are subjects of a father, and the father's subjects of the King. This is all in line with Filmer's central argument, loosely based on Scriptural writings, that God created Adam and the world at his disposal, which makes Adam our first king and the sole proprietor of everything, and all rights can only be inherited through his lineage, namely through a male descendant.
However, in Locke's view, all men and women are born free and lived before the first established civil societies in accord with the laws of nature, in what John Locke (1632-1704) refers to as the State of Nature. Where by he believes that the only reason the people are to enter, by mutual consent, into a political community is to better preserve their liberty and secure their property as the property is insufficiently regulated in the State of Nature. Nevertheless, these Civil Societies should be in harmony with the natural rights enjoyed in the State of Nature. Locke goes on further to discuss the necessity of the separation of the legislative and executive powers, the people's rights to retain instruments to overthrow governments, and that an individual's "labor of his body and the work of his hands" are to remain in their possession.
Locke, a philosopher, and a physician began studying and writing about government and politics once he came under the influence of the first earl of Shaftesbury (Anthony Ashley Cooper).
Spinoza's and Descartes' impact on Locke's philosophy is evident but his philosophy remains original. A great book with a lengthy biographical introduction of John Locke who is today commonly known as the Father of Liberalism. Worth reading....more
Rene Descartes claims that a trustworthy correspondence does not exist between our sensations and that what is causing them. Therefore, our five exterRene Descartes claims that a trustworthy correspondence does not exist between our sensations and that what is causing them. Therefore, our five external senses can often deceive our internal common sense which will consequently affect how we perceive things and as a result lead us to draw faulty conclusions. Hence, Descartes replaces the unreliable method of deducing truth through our physical senses, with rationalism.
Descartes' universe is mechanistic and the human body a machine. He asserts that the universe plays by the rules of his Three Laws of Nature which are surprisingly similar to Newton's Three Laws of Motion published 50 years later. In Descartes' universe, everything is comprised of matter made of tiny particles called corpuscles that are similar to atoms. He believes that the universe is a perfect solid in which motion is conserved with no empty spaces, anywhere, not even between the particles as previously (and now) thought. Just as we are unable to observe the air around us that doesn't mean the space we're surrounded by is empty. Therefore, Descartes claims that emptiness is filled with some type of matter as well. Perhaps he was referring to what we call today dark matter or dark energy?
The World and Other Writings (1629-1633) is written in a simple and approachable language with comprehensible everyday life examples. Thus, not as densely written as his Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy. This book covers several subjects: cosmology, physics, anatomy, physiology, and more. I found his chapters on the phenomena of reflection and refraction of light most original through the example of the rainbow. Descartes also correctly assumes the existence of other planetary systems and that they border one another and our Solar system. Of course, some of the science is dated as the book was written 400 years ago, same as the science we rely on today will perhaps be dated 400 years in the future, but that should not stop us from reading it....more
This book is written in a rather conversational writing style but with a quite compelling first-person narrative. I enjoyed the author's vivid portrayThis book is written in a rather conversational writing style but with a quite compelling first-person narrative. I enjoyed the author's vivid portrayals of the native cultures and the initial reactions of the people involved in this unprecedented encounter between two contrasting civilizations. I could only imagine how exciting it must have been for the eyes to absorb and minds of all the men and women to adapt to these new scenes of life. Their perception of things, and in general the perception of man, must have experienced a metamorphosis. With the New World, came along a new reality. But the initial excitement quickly soured and things turned gory.
The author Bernal Diaz Del Castillo who lived to be 90-years-old was a soldier in his youth under Hernan Cortes. He shares a rare first-hand account of the Spanish expeditions to Mexico from the year 1517 to the conquest of Tenochtitlan in 1521. What I have discovered is that the Spanish victory over the Aztec Empire was accomplished by forming essential and elaborate alliances with the surrounding indigenous tribes and their settlements. Also, it should be noted that the Conquistadors secondary goal in Mexico was to spread the Christian faith and eradicate cannibalism and human sacrifices practice by the natives, which the latter sounds justifiable, but their primary goal was power and most importantly to get their hands on the gold and there was a lot of it in Mexico already mined.
The Spanish settlers were present in the Caribbean for over a quarter of a century before discovering the Aztecan civilization. Hence, the Conquistadors had set sail east from Cuba to the Gulf of Mexico and disembarked around Veracruz, and worked their way inland to this ancient Mesoamerican city (I am just writing this in case someone mistakenly thought that the Spanish arrived from the Pacific Oceans side and landed on the western shores of Mexico).
While reading about this Mesoamerican civilization one realizes how underrated these ancient societies are in literature. One has to remember they independently developed their writing systems and agriculture while being cut off from the rest of the world for at least a dozen millennia. Thereby, they could not benefit from the accumulated knowledge and inventions that were available in Eurasia and Africa. The Old World had a head start, and the innumerable interactions between different cultures and civilizations and other quantifiables made it more probably to develop and exchange knowledge.
Fair warning given, there are numerous descriptive accounts of all the battles and military tactics which could be wearisome to some readers, and at times it seems that some of Bernal Diaz's accounts are exaggerated and questionable. Although, I still think that for anyone interested in the history of Mesoamerica this book should be at the top of their list....more
The spoon disappeared in a cup of tea as the spoon was made out of gallium that melts at 29°C - not my cup of tea. This book is rich in empirical evidThe spoon disappeared in a cup of tea as the spoon was made out of gallium that melts at 29°C - not my cup of tea. This book is rich in empirical evidence and interesting tales of the last 200 years of history and discoveries of the chemical elements of the periodic table. However, the countless stories lacked the threads that could have given them a common fabric.
The periodic table, which is currently comprised of 118 elements (112 at the time the book was written), is an ongoing process. The number of elements in our 14 billion year old universe increased over time. Right after the Big Bang a couple of elements formed, but later through nuclear fusion in stars, and stellar explosions known as supernovas, created and released the other naturally occurring elements. The remaining elements in the periodic table are synthetic (woman-made / man-made).
The book walks us through Mendeleev's periodic table of elements that is composed of the main ingredients that chemists, physicists, and other scientist use for their recipes and experiments. The author shares many amusing background stories on how numerous chemical elements were isolated and shaped the way wars were fought, politics conducted, and relationships impacted.
We see how women, like Marie Skłodowska Curie, her daughter Irene, Lise Meitner, and others played a pivotal role in the evolution of the periodic table.
The author also recognizes that science, as a whole, was greatly contributed by immigrants.
Somewhere in the first quarter of the book an interesting question was asked by Kean and that is whether theory or experiments are responsible for the advancement of science? I wish this question was further elaborated.
The reader will definitely walk away with a considerable amount of interesting information, but not enough understanding of the subject matter. The author spent almost the whole book informing, rather than teaching and challenging me to think.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in getting a tour of the chemical elements and their backstories.
[I read the Montenegrin (Serbian / Croatian / Bosnian) translation Kašika koja nestaje - autor Sem Kin. Laguna 2018 Publishing / 459 pages / 111,901 words. Great translation.]...more
Reading Siddhartha Mukherjee's biography of cancer evoked buried memories of my experience with the disease.
Cancer is not a single or homogeneous malReading Siddhartha Mukherjee's biography of cancer evoked buried memories of my experience with the disease.
Cancer is not a single or homogeneous malady but a multiple or heterogeneous disease that shares a common fundamental characteristic; abnormal cell growth.
It seems that during my college years my body's usual self-commanding mechanism, in a distinct area, stopped working properly i.e. my typical cell cycle malfunctioned. Perhaps, the old cells, that my body no longer needed, did not die and grew uncontrollably. Cancer occurs when a copying error of a DNA takes place during cell division, like a typographical error, where the misprinted DNA influences a critical gene. Many cancers are caused by these random unfortunate copying errors but others are caused by environmental effects or inherited mutations. Whichever was the cause in my case the malignant cells incessantly multiplied, by division, to form my tumor.
Similar malignant tumors, leukemia, and lymphoma are all discussed in the The Emperor of All Maladies (2010) but the book focus is more on the history of the evolution and the significant discoveries of cancer treatment and about the notable medical doctors and scientists who were leading the way to better understand the disease and strived to find a cure for it. We also learn that it was not just the individuals who wore the white coats that are to be credited for the accomplishments in cancer research, treatment, and prevention, it's also the activists, philanthropists, and government officials who did their part in advocating the prevention of cancer and securing the funds necessary so we can come closer to finding a solution for this illness.
Even though the surgery to remove my malignant tumor was successful, cancer had spread, hence it required several weeks of therapy, which ended up turning into months that subsequently eliminated my drive and reduced my weight. Since I was even then interested in Darwinism, I remember thinking "natural selection wants me out".
Before my therapy started, I took all measures of fertility preservation. At the time I found it slightly embarrassing as my friends and family knew where I was going. I recall the nurse at the clinic with an expressionless face offering to bring me magazines and videos which I immediately and proudly declined.
Luckily, the efforts of my team of doctors, family, and friends paid off and man-made group selection beat natural selection!
Mukherjee wrote a great book with an enthralling narrative. He smoothly intertwines science, history, and biographical accounts with personal stories as he did with his subsequent book The Gene (2016). The Emperor of All Maladies is over 600 pages but it's worth the effort.
You don't have to like science to enjoy this book! If you do like science, you'll find it even more informative and entertaining. The book is written You don't have to like science to enjoy this book! If you do like science, you'll find it even more informative and entertaining. The book is written for a broader audience who enjoy history, biology, and for those who enjoy debating social, cultural, and ethical dilemmas.
In the book the author takes us in depth though the biological journey of the evolution of our knowledge and struggles with the study of the gene, all coiled around like the DNA strand with world histories most critical events and Mukherjee's personal intimate story.
The stories in the book relating to the competitiveness between laboratories are suspenseful and fun to read. We also find out, to my surprise, the important roll identical twins play for geneticist in providing data and proof that inclination to a certain temperament, urges, illnesses, and other character traits are in most part hereditary, and therefore written in our genes.
We also see that the commonality, or better yet solidarity, that bonds some of the greatest names in biology such as Darwin, Mendel, and others is their failure in the natural and applied science formal education systems of their times. This can be encouraging for those academically struggling.
The book is well-written, and the science and history is well balanced. Mukherjee stays on topic, which is always good.
Don't be discouraged by the 600 pages, it's an enjoyable and easy read. You won't regret it. Highly recommend it!
I've read the Montenegrin-Serbian-Croatian-Bosnian translation Gen: Intimna Istorija autora Sidarte Mukardžija. Laguna 2018 Publishing / 678 pages / 163,515 words. Excellent translation....more
"...there is no doubt that climate changes were produced by astronomical causes by changes in the Earth's trajectory and the tilt of the Earth's axis""...there is no doubt that climate changes were produced by astronomical causes by changes in the Earth's trajectory and the tilt of the Earth's axis"..."...over the next 26,100 years, based on my calculations, the summers in our region will be warmer and warmer".
Milankovic, one of the founders of planetary climatology, wrote these words 100 years ago. What would he say about Global Warming of the 21st century? Would he modify his conclusion? How much would the enhanced (by humans) greenhouse effect alter his calculations?
A Traveler through Distant Worlds and Times is a collection of letters written by Milutin Milankovic in the 1920's & 30's to his imaginary lady friend. The Serbian author was a prominent geophysicist and astronomer renowned for his groundbreaking work in climatology (ice ages). I am sure most readers have never heard of the author.
Multitalented Milankovic with this book does a wonderful job popularizing science in the early 20th century. Similar to what Carl Sagan did in the late 20th century, and what Neil deGrasse Tyson does today. Actually, popular science books such as Sagan's Cosmos and Tyson's Death by Black Hole have many similarities with this book. I assume they were both familiar with Milankovic's work.
Throughout the book Milankovic takes his romanticized woman on a dreamy voyage through space and time, inspired by the theory of relativity. Daydreaming he is talking to (sometimes eavesdropping on) the greatest astronomers and philosophers of our history. The author also shares with us parts of his personal travelogues and achievements. All of these stories are entwined with simplified lessons in celestial mechanics.
The book has many witty biographical anecdotes of our histories most prominent scientist and their interaction with one another, including those with Milankovic.
Although, at times it felt like I was reading two different genres, one about the authors personal memoirs and accomplishments and the other about time travel written in a poetic style and tone. I would have liked to have seen this work in two different books, one non-fiction and the other fiction.
All in all, it seems that the author's aim to popularize science was achieved while getting across, in several of his letters, the following arguments (among others): (i) the future can be determined by using complex equations including and not limited to climate change (ii) theological teachings of the way Earth and Humans were created are wrong. His supporting arguments were convincing which were based on mathematical calculations and geological evidence available at the time.
This book is written for a broader audience, but I would definitely recommend it to those interested in astronomy, calendars, and climate change.
I read the original version in the Serbian language (Montenegrin / Croatian / Bosnian) Kroz Vasionu i Vekove autora Milutina Milankovića. Dereta 2019 4th Publishing (paperback) / 399 pages / 99,420 words....more
If you want to get a general understanding of the history of the Universe and the sciences that holds it together, this is an excellent book to start If you want to get a general understanding of the history of the Universe and the sciences that holds it together, this is an excellent book to start with. It's fun and informative.
I've read the 2013 Ballantine Books Trade Paperback Edition / Cosmos by Carl Sagan / 432 pages / 116,202 words....more
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