Book Summaries
Modesty (The Lessons of History)
The first lesson that Durant reveals to us is modesty. Two scientific revolutions forced us to be modest, the Copernican revolution, and the Darwinian revolution.
The first lesson that Durant reveals to us is modesty. Two scientific revolutions forced us to be modest, the Copernican revolution, and the Darwinian revolution. Copernicus told us that we are not the center of the universe, and Darwin told us that we are merely highly evolved animals, but animals nonetheless.
What we think of as the most meaningful and important, our human lives is really, the accidental by-product of the grand forces of nature. And these forces exist within us, and around us, for all life is the struggle for existence, and the survival of the fittest.
It is impossible to have a total perspective on history. The best we can aim towards is partial knowledge. It is dangerous to think that within 30 to 40 years of studying, man can judge and subvert the collective wisdom of the human race, to question its tradition and motivation.
People like to think they are a little special, but of course, this is a delusion. Yet we need it to progress. Without this bit of vanity, we might find it harder to push forward. Delusion is a powerful motivator.
YARPP List
Related posts:
- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century Summary (7/10)
- The Epicureans (A History of Western Philosophy)
- Leibnitz (A History of Western Philosophy)
- Locke (A History of Western Philosophy)
Keep Reading
Related Articles
Book Summaries
Cognition
Jean Piaget – The Language and Thought of the Child – [Summary](https://unearnedwisdom.com/the-language-and-thought-of-the-child-summary-7-10/) YARPP List ### Related posts: 1. Will It Fly Summary (7/10) 2. Modern Man in Search of a Soul Summary (8/10) 3.
Book Summaries
Chapter 16: The Capitalist Creed (Sapiens)
Credit allowed people who did not have wealth, to make money. It is one of the greatest human inventions, but credit did not have such a glorious past. At one point, it was believed that the total amount of wealth was limited. When someone got richer, it meant that someone else got poorer.
Book Summaries
Ch 5: Mortars and Mass Production (Chip War)
- Jay Lathrop joined Texas Instruments on September 1, 1958, shortly after Jack Kilby’s summer spent tinkering in TI’s labs. - After graduating from MIT and working at a U.
Book Summaries
A Summary of How to Become an Original Writer in Three Days (Ludwig Borne)
> Borne recommended shutting oneself away for three days with a supply of paper, to write, “without falsehood and without hypocrisy,” about every topic that comes to mind. Borne’s idea was that men are stifled by the burden of conventional ideas, and that they do not dare to think for themselves.