Re: Brad McCormick's contribution.

It might be your personal opinion that Darwin is not one of the most
important scientific thinkers of the last few centuries. However as far as
an impact on science and society is concerned your personal opinion may be
proved wrong.

Evolutionary theory turned old notions on their head and had an influence
on every aspect of science and society today

In John Dewey's words Darwin's Origin "introduced a mode of thinking that
in the end was bound to transform the logic of knowledge, and hence the
treatment of morals, politics, and religion."

Darwin's method, which was one of careful observation analysis and
conclusions that challenged even his own strongly held beliefs, gave
impetus to an empirical science of nature.

The question of liking or disliking Darwin's writing, theory or ideas, and
preferring others, should not be confused with the undoubtedly important
place Darwin holds in history and I for one am grateful!

At 18:57 10/10/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Robert Davidson wrote:
>>
>> I think it's fair enough that it is expected by Milton that everyone who
>> claims basic education should know the basics of Darwin's biography.  After
>> all, it can very reasonably be claimed that he is one of the three or four
>> most important figures of this rapidly ending millennium.
>
>By *whose* criteria?  Not mine.  I'll place
>Elizabeth Eisenstein way above Darwin, any day.
>Heck, I'd place far more than 10 of the authors in my
>dissertation bibliography above Darwin.
>
>    http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/bibliography.html
>
>Let's start with Donald Winnicott if we're interested in
>what being human means from a developmental perspective....
>If one needs a second Englishman, how about David Hume, who was
>both a very important philosopher and who also lived
>admirably even through his painful dying and death.
>
>>
>> How fortunate it is to live in a country sensible enough to name a city
>> after him.
>
>Who?  Giovanni de Dondi?  Which country?
>
>>
>> Robert Davidson
>>
>> Brad wrote in part:
>> But there is another implication here: that *everyone* should
>> know the basics of Darwin's biography.
>>
>> Does everyone here know
>> about Giovanni de Dondi's great technological accomplishment ca. 1375?
>> There is also apparently a book somewhere about a remarkable
>> Hellenistic period astronomical clock that may even have
>> exceeded de Dondi's accomplishment -- only ca. 1500 years earlier.
>> Since everyone should know everything, I will appreciate the
>> citations for this item which someone once told me
>> about and which I was so foolish as to not write it down.
>
>I'm still awaiting to be filled in on *this* item of
>universal knowledge -- I remedied my Darwin biography
>problem from "EA" (Encyclopedia Americana).
>
>+\brad mccormick
>
>--
>  Let your light so shine before men,
>              that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)
>
>  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
>
><![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [log in to unmask]
>  914.238.0788 / 27 Poillon Rd, Chappaqua NY 10514-3403 USA
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>  Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/
>