Reading the articles in Diderot's Encyclopedia is one of the best ways to understand the French Enlightenment. It shows the attitudes of the philosophes toward everything from Islam to Women to Intolerance to History. While the online translation of the Encyclopedia articles does not include the wonderful illustrations of the original, you will probably still find much of interest.Browse to an article on a topic of interest to you. Comment on what you found particularly interesting in that article.
Title: Cheese
ReplyDeleteThere are only two kinds of cheese, the first one being coarser, dryer and a sharp tendency. The second being more moist, rich, and delicate. One draw backs on large quantities of cheese is indigestion.
- Lexi Lockhart
I read the article "Autumn" and I think it is odd how there are many quotes that go along with it to show what Autumn is. There should just be a definition!
ReplyDelete-Jaeden Metcalf
Title: Eagle
ReplyDeleteAstronomy definition: the name of one of the constellations in the northern hemisphere. Its right wing touches the equinoctial line; its left wing is next to the snake's head. Its beak is separated from the rest of the body by the circle that runs from cancer to capricorn. Therefore makes a shape of an Eagle. In the constellation of the Eagle Tycho Brache only counted seventeen stars. The British Catalogue counted seventy stars.
-Lexi Lockhart
Title: "Beer"
ReplyDeleteBeer is an invention that is attributed back to the Egyptian's. There were two types of beer: zythum and carmi. The only difference was that carmi was made sweeter. Now, we have all kinds of different beer, not just two types and it is spread all over the world.
-Jaeden Metcalf
Title: Face
ReplyDeleteA face is the external part of the head or as a philosopher would say it is the mirror to the soul. No animal has a face similar to men’s in the world and that only human face s can express so many thoughts and internal passions. Cicero take many notes on the subject of "Face"
- Lexi Lockhart
Title: "Woman"
ReplyDeleteIt was really interesting reading what men in the 17th century thought of women. They were half way between being in complete awe and being completely sexist.
- Evan Brandner
I read an article about cabbage I really had no idea that cabbage was a vegetable of many varieties. It can be divided into nine different types. I will for sure never look at cabbage the same way again.
ReplyDelete-Erin Dudley
Title: "Chocolate"
ReplyDeleteChocolate used to be called the "milk for old people." It's looked upon as very nutritious and is apt to revive weakened stomach forces. Sugar and other ingredients are supposed to be nourishing elements for the body.
-Jaeden Metcalf
Title: "Mint"
ReplyDeleteMint is a type of flower that is divided into four parts. Medicine has drawn so much from this plant, from the smell to the healing touch of it. There are different types of mint flowers, some being good and some that are bad.
-Jaeden Metcalf
In the article 'Animal Soul' there is an argument as to whether the animal soul is closer to that of a human's or a machine. They relate a lot to the machine portion of the argument talking about automatic movements that animals have but then also briefly that humans have something similar. From observation we can see that animals have feelings. The earlier argument talks about how animals are more machine like in nature and must be a machine then and that they would not put it against God to do such a thing. Then a break through in the argument happens, he states that God can not deceive us and that if animals are pure machines that he would then be deceiving us. He then talks about humans would be like automaton then and if humans are automaton then he would be deceiving us and again, he can not deceive us. I find it very interesting that he is disproving himself in this by simply stating that God cannot deceive us. He makes some good points about how we could automaton and that animals could be pure machine, but after his arguments he tends to focus much on his religion and disproving himself. He could be right but he seems to believe or hopes to believe that he isn't.
ReplyDelete--Brianna Marnette
Fantasy- A definition that is more true then our own today. Mentions the weakness but power we can tell ourselves and others. Jeff Hyke
ReplyDeleteDemons - It was interesting to me to see how the encyclopedia traced the idea's roots and used reason to label it as superstition. An excellent example of the era's reason and Deism.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Traylor
Title: Ocular Harpsichord
ReplyDeleteI browsed the music section of the encyclopedia, and came across an article on the ocular harpsichord. I had never heard of this "instrument" and I found it very interesting.
-Grace Gasperich