The Foundation Shake Summary

Clyde F. Crews, author of Ultimate questions describes in chapter “The Foundation Shake” about political (American and French Revolution), technological (locomotive, telephone), philosophical, and religious events that shape the history of late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

However the main focus of his paper was to analyze the ideas of Marx, Darwin, and Freud about human life and destiny by asking the following questions to the three thinkers: What is the nature of the universe? How does humanity fit into this picture?, What is the fundamental flaw in the human situation?, and What, if any, is the remedy for this flaw?

Charles Darwin’s focus is more in the survival aspect. He says that the universe is a destiny through an eternal species

and structures, but it is not more than an utter survival. Also, he says that humanity is an extent of the animal kingdom, and that is why survival is the fundamental element of human beings that ends in evolution.
Karl Marx’s ideas were based on materialism. He believes that human being fights with material emotion. He also, says that men and women are separate from self-worth, necessary physical resources, and true community, for that reason they are aliens in this world.
Sigmund Freud emphasis was in understanding human personality.

He believes that every person has conflict of the inner self, and those conflicts are reveal through dreams. He also, sees sexuality as a major component of human activity.

Darwin, Marx, and Freud are important figures from nineteenth century who established the new worldviews.

Living in the twenty-one century, If I have to answer those four question I will say the following answers:

What the nature of the universe? Since, kid I learned that the universe is supported through the theory of the “ Big Bang”. Today scientists are still trying to understand and answer the magnificence of the universe. I will say that the nature of the universe it is still a secret that the universe is something that increases the curiosity of humans, and maybe one day this question will be answer.

How does humanity fit into this picture? This question is very interesting because everyone wants to know what is the role of the human being in the planet. Some people are trying to understand psychologically and biologically the human body and see how it connects with the environment. Some may say that every person has a purpose on this planet, others are trying to answer this question through religion beliefs. This question is still with no answer in the twenty-one century. How can we know the purpose of humanity if we are immersed into the globalization

era.
What is the fundamental flaw in the human situation? Personally, I believe that the flaw of humanity is the seeking of power and have the control over others.
What, if any, is the remedy for this flaw? The remedy for this flaw is the human itself because we are those who are looking for answers. The day that we get together without seeking power over other and try to be the best from others, it will be the day the we will resolve the mystery of the universe and the role of humanity in this world.