Week #3: "Science and Philosophy" by Alfred North Whitehead

     Alfred North Whitehead was a mathematician and philosopher, born in 1861. He is best known for co-authoring "Principia Mathematica" with Bertrand Russell, which is considered one of the seminal works of mathematical logic and process. 

    His book, "Science and Philosophy",  is a collection of his essays and writings. He is very open about his life and upbringing, and he certainly grew up in a different era, both of educational ideas and methods.

    Some of what I highlighted as I read along.... 

    “Philosophy is an attempt to express the infinity of the universe in terms of the limitations of language.” 

    "Historical tradition is handed down by the direct experience of physical surroundings."

    

    "Her vivid life has taught me that beauty, moral and aesthetic, is the aim of existence; and that kindness, and love, and artistic satisfaction are among its modes of attainment."

    I really enjoyed digging in to some of the heavier parts of this book, especially as he got into the philosophical underpinnings of mathematics. That was an intense wade, and I really had to slow down to follow his thoughts, sometimes reading them multiple times to be sure I had even the faintest idea where he was going. 

    "The crux of philosophy is to retain the balance between the individuality of existence and the relativity of existence. "

    He gets deep into math, philosophy, and education with a number of essays on education systems, when they are appropriate, 

    "Remember that a refusal to think does not imply the non-existence of entities for thought."

    There is at least one quote that is totally appropo of today's cancel culture---

    "Thanks to the labours of the eighteenth century, we have inherited an efficient system for the criticism of traditional thought. But in regard to the novelty our critical apparatus is only half developed. Each generation runs into childish extremes. Today we adore, and tomorrow we will flog, the images of our saints or at least desert their shrines."

    Interesting thoughts from roughly World War I.

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    So, Week 4!! "Gossip Girl"  by Cecily von Ziegesar