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Bertrand russell the value of philosophy
Effects of technological innovations on our society
Bertrand russell's essay on philosophy
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The reason why society advances is because of the innovations put forth by innovators. Therefore, it can be said that innovators are the reason why society advances. Bertrand Russell highlights three reasons why society is reluctant to the changes put forth by innovators. These are, “…the instinct of conventionality…the feeling of insecurity…that vested interests are bound up with old beliefs…” these ideas are all present in the play, Julius Caesar (Bertrand Russell 1). Russell states a number of facts about the way society views innovators and the statues quo, and Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare many centuries before Russell was born, demonstrates that his philosophy applies to all generations, before, present, and after his time period.
Bertrand Russell states that the instinct of conventionality is the most important reason why society resists innovators. For example, the mob reacts violently after Brutus and the other conspirators/innovators murder Caesar. “And with the brands, fire the traitors’ houses” (III Sc.2 ln. 269). With the murder of Julius Caesar, the conspirators disrupt the status quo and the stability of conventionality. This relates directly with Russell’s assertion that a mob that has been pushed out of its comfort zone will react violently to the originator of thus mentioned change. In this example, Brutus and the conspirators who murdered Caesar are the innovators since they disrupted the status quo, which was Caesar’s presence in the Senate. However, one can analyze the same situation and reverse the roles. Julius Caesar is the innovator, and by disrupting the system of the Roman Republic, he brings upon himself his assassination. Julius Caesar’s upcoming crowning by the Senate is disruption ...
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...in. Russell predicted a similar scenario when he stated “ …that vested interests are the principal source of anger against novelties …” (Bertrand Russell 1).
Bertrand Russell’s essay’s points about the reception of innovated ideas by the general public are highlighted in the play Julius Caesar. Indeed, the whole play was about an innovator who paid the ultimate price, death, for expressing his innovative idea. The human race will develop into a more understanding society, once we can realize that the only way to advance the human condition is to innovate upon old innovations.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.
New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print.
Russell, Bertrand. Individual Liberty and Public Control. Class Handout. Concordia
International School Shanghai, Shanghai, China.
...orld differently than nearly any other person on the planet. Like children, like Thaddeus, they will often see the simplest solution to a problem, and their solution will almost certainly be the best. Youthfulness makes itself evident in the eyes of such innovators with a deepness that matches that of a child. Unfortunately, children have not learned to defend their ideas and being impressionable, they will accept what they are told without questioning the given idea or defending their own work. Innovators have maintained a belief in changing the impossible to possible through an uncorrupted openness and childlike mindset for what is possibilities. Thanks to people inspired by the same movement as is displayed in “Come On, Wagon,” we constantly move beyond what is impossible with Zenna Henderson giving voice to moving forward, past the impossible and our own rules.
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The Myths of Innovation by Scott Berkun completely changed the way I view creativity. I noticed that we all have creativity inside of us; it is by means of expressing our deepest desires and ideas that we display our creativity to others. Burkun destroys myth after myth about innovation, which had me ready to start inventing my first million dollar idea! Berkun outlines ways to tap into innovation and pulls from history to guide us into the future. His simple and common prose gave me courage to tackle the tough problems. I now feel as though I have a firm grasp on what it means to be an effective creator.
The Earth is not a piece of quartz - it’s like a stone with many imperfections and scratches, and though it retains its scratches, it attempts to heal them; it bandages its wounds. To heal a wound, though, it must be first isolated: and in the case of the world, it is literal flaw that resides with the mask of a wound - combated, though not incapacitated, by the innovators of the Earth. A telephone, refrigerator, microwave, civil rights and gender equality - not only technology, but even a concept as imperative as liberation or equality have altered the globe (as humans see it), for the better: technology has made life easier for humans, ideal rights and equality have been gifted to those that require it, and efforts have been exclaimed in order to protect the natural amenities that are taken for granted. The reason adhered to by the innovators, dedicated to creating the aforesaid circumstances, is rather simple: they endeavor as they do because of the profit that befits not only themselves, but the world in doing so. When Alexander Graham Bell and Antonio Meucci developed the telephone, they distributed communication among the masses (a profit), and thereby changed the globe for the better; that same reason is reflected throughout the ages: Percy Spencer, inventor of the microwave, gained favorable avail via his invention for not only himself, but the Earth as well. Thus, the innovators of the world retain that reason: they change things for the better because of the positive benefit that would befit doing so - the positive benefit for not only themselves, but the world. Nikola Tesla, one of those innovators, arguably fathomed that reason more than anyone. “Born on July 9, 1856, in Smijan, Croatia, Tesla was the child of a clergy...
The world is changing at this very moment, as it has been for thousands of years. Life today is not the same as it was yesterday, nor will it be identical to tomorrow. Lives are changing, but this change does not affect merely the lives of individuals. Society as a whole is constantly undergoing modifications and other changes, both beneficially and unfavorably. People do not always readily accept this change. For ages, writers and great philosophers have been trying to discover the reasons that society makes an effort to resist this change, which comes through innovators and their new ideas. One piece of literature that attempts to solve the issue of societies resisting change is the essay “Individual Liberty and Public Control” by Bertrand Russell. He makes several points as to why societies resist change. Russell narrows the points down to three main reasons, being an “instinct of conventionality”, “feeling of insecurity”, and “vested interests” (Russell 1). These reasons can be applied to other works of literature, such as William Shakespeare’s drama The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, in which people resist changes and the opinions of various innovators. While it is true that the characters and events of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar manifest Russell’s reasons why society resists change, the underlying motive for each of these reasons in the Julius Caesar is the human nature’s selfish ambition and desire for personal gain.
...s. Society must try new experiences and keep their ears and mind open to new philosophies and ideas, because without them, it cannot learn from its mistakes and will continue to ‘make funeral pyres and [jump] into the middle of them’ (163).
Mokyr, Joel. The Lever of Riches: Technological Creativity and Economic Progress. Oxford University Press, 1990.
The preceding Enlightenment period had depended upon reason, logic and science to give us knowledge, success, and a better society. The Romantics contested that idea and changed the formula...
Worldwide, the rate of cesarean section is increasing. According to the CDC, in 2012 the rate of cesarean sections comprised 32.8% of all births in the United States (CDC, 2013). Between 1996-2009 the cesarean section rate has risen 60% in the U.S (CDC, 2013). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 50% of the 137 countries studies had cesarean section rates higher than 15% (WHO, 2010). The current goal of U.S. 2020 Healthy People is to reduce the rate of cesarean section to a target of 23.9%, which is almost 10% lower than the current rate (Healthy People 2020, 2013). According to a study conducted by Gonzales, Tapia, Fort, and Betran (2013), the appropriate percentage of performed cesarean sections is unclear, and is dependent on the circumstances of each individual birth (p. 643). Though often a life-saving procedure when necessary, the risks and complications associated with cesarean delivery are a cause for alarm due to the documented rate increase of this procedure across the globe. Many studies have revealed that cesarean deliveries increase the incidence of maternal hemorrhage and mortality and neonatal respiratory distress when compared to vaginal deliveries. As a result, current research suggests that efforts to reduce the rate of non-medically indicated cesarean sections should be made, and that comprehensive patient education should be provided when considering an elective cesarean delivery over a planned vaginal delivery.
Humans have a tendency to point out the flaws in their peers, simply because it is easier to find someone’s flaws instead of their strengths. Bertrand Russell’s essay, “Individual liberty and Public Control,” supports this idea by suggesting that all societies are quick to judge and immediately reject any change that makes itself present in the community. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, and Mark Antony are innovators that gain direct support of the Roman masses and refute this idea of societies direct resistance to change. Bertrand Russell’s views on society’s reaction to innovators and the upheaval of the status quo are not an accurate depiction of the Roman republic’s reaction to the three key innovators of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
We as humans have developed a form of society in which everyone has a purpose and a job they must do. In some circumstances, we are unhappy with the path we have chosen or are given. We all wish to make a change, yet we never seem to stand up to our leaders and change this; we follow the cultural norms even if we don’t like or understand them. The basis of this idea is out of fear of the unknown. People tend to be afraid of that which they have not experienced; an oxymoronic device negating our obligation to discover and innovate.