722: Friedrich Nietzsche at the Door...

August 25, 1900 Friedrich Nietzsche died, but that was only the person. His ideas had a great influence in the 20th century and thus shaped our history.

   

After his death, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche (1846 - 1935), became the curator and editor of her brother's manuscripts. 

   

She reworked Nietzsche's unpublished writings to fit her own German nationalist ideology while often contradicting 

    

or obfuscating Nietzsche's stated opinions, which were explicitly opposed to antisemitism and nationalism. 

   

Through her published editions, Nietzsche's work became associated with fascism and Nazism; 

   

20th century scholars contested this interpretation of his work and corrected editions of his writings were soon made available. Nietzsche's philosophy enjoyed renewed popularity in the 1960s.

  

What was politically sensitive or too controversial, she kept behind. But what she did publish was still controversial enough. 

  

His philosophical ideas was, even though Nietzsche had been anything but systematic, that all history had to be seen as a metaphysical struggle between two groups. 

  

On the one hand there were those with the 'Wille zur Macht', (The Will to Power), that is with the necessary vitality to create the dominant values.

    

On the other side were those who lacked that will, where Nietzsche mostly was thinking of the masses that had risen with democracy. 

   

"Those who are weak in life, impoverish the culture," he wrote, "those who are strong in life enrich her." 

   

According to him, all civilization was due to the predators whose willpower and drive of power were still unbroken, 

  

who threw themselves on the weaker, more civilized, more peaceful races ... on mature, ancient cultures, of which even the last vitality disappears in corruption.

   

He called the predators Arians. They would become the ruling class or caste, and: "the noble caste is always a barbaric caste.", he wrote.

   

Simply because they were more vital and more energetic, Nietzsche thought, they were more complete people than the biblical civilized, they would submit. 

  

The energetic nobles spontaneously create the values for themselves and for the rest of society.

     

The 'aristocratic class', he said, gives the definitions of good and bad, honor and duty, true or false, beautiful or ugly, and as conqueror it puts these views on the vanquished. 

  

He believed that nature wanted it that way. However, morality is invented by the lower classes. 

   

It would come from resentment and feed the virtues of the herd animals. For Nietzsche 'morality denies life'. 

  

The moralistic, contrived civilization or "Western man" would inevitably lead to the end of humanity. 

     

That Nietzsche's philosophy was extremely influential, cannot be denied. Last but not least, it seemed so beautifully in tune with Darwin's theory of evolution, published in 1859. 

   

Nietzsches Übermensch (Overman), lord and master of the lower classes, indeed sounds like the theory of evolution: 

    

the natural selection, or the law of the jungle, ensures the survival of the fittest in the interest of all mankind, regardless of the consequences for certain individuals. 

   

But this argument goes wrong, of course, for after all, the 'fittest test' means something completely different from the ability to lead, to create values, and to impose your will on others. 

  

In the theory of evolution, the fittest are the ones who produce the most progeny, who maintain their own kind. 

  

Many social Darwinists made that mistake. The biological theory in Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" was soon used as an explanatory model for society.

     

With the strong anti-semitism in mind which we already encountered in Vienna (1900 - 1910), where Hitler walked around in those days,

   

we all know how the misinterpretation of Nietzsche and Darwin was used in the 20th century.

   

Thank you for your attention... ^_^

The Discussion

[13:19] Ciska Riverstone: thank you herman

[13:19] Ciska Riverstone: so - would Nietzsche been happy about trump then? ;)

[13:19] herman Bergson: there still is the belief in White supremacy

[13:19] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): i guess

[13:20] CB Axel: So Nietzsche felt that people with morals are weak and destined to die out?

[13:20] herman Bergson: Good question Ciska......

[13:20] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): sounds like he would be a supporter of both greed and barbarism but indeed thats not the ones who survive

[13:20] CB Axel: It seems like the world, or at least the US, is heading that way.

[13:20] herman Bergson: Yes morality was invented by the weak....christianity in particular...

[13:20] Ciska Riverstone: (well lets not forget he died mad and had to be nursed by his sister)

[13:21] Ciska Riverstone: (which might be a direct consequence of believing his own philosophy)

[13:21] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): maybe he lived mad too

[13:21] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well surely I don't support his ideas

[13:22] herman Bergson: More even....a lot he wrote was when he already was in a second stage of syphilis detoriation...

[13:22] CB Axel: So much for the meek inheriting the earth

[13:22] CB Axel: Ha! I thought he died of syphilis.

[13:22] CB Axel: Serves him right.

[13:22] herman Bergson: When Trump yells America first....I am convinced he means White America first

[13:23] CB Axel: Of course he does.

[13:23] herman Bergson: He died of it indeed CB

[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but i guess they believed things like that then, if Nietzsches ideas in turn lead to the Nazism and holocaust its a really bad thing

[13:23] CB Axel: And, actually, he means Trump first.

[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): if thats was what he actually believed in

[13:24] herman Bergson: Nietzsches ideas did not lead to nazism.....

[13:24] herman Bergson: don't forget how anti-semitic Vienna already was

[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): I guess it had started way before that

[13:24] herman Bergson: anfd how they believed in  a superior race....

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): need to check a bit more on this

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its a sad part of the history thats for sure

[13:25] herman Bergson: Nietzsche lived  within that context.....

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): he got pulled along i guess

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): like lot of others

[13:26] herman Bergson: Our problem with the way we look at history is, that we focus on individuals....

[13:26] herman Bergson: but these individuals did not live and think in a vacuum....

[13:26] herman Bergson: they lived in a cultural context...

[13:27] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): what is the situation today compare to the days of Nietzsche?

[13:27] herman Bergson: Nietzsche was just better in expressing the ideas that lived in those days and added his own originality to it, I'd say

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok

[13:27] herman Bergson: What did we take with us from the 20th century, Beertje?

[13:28] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes

[13:28] herman Bergson: Good question....

[13:28] Ciska Riverstone: are u going to talk about him too?

[13:28] Ciska Riverstone: from has some nice answers to that

[13:28] herman Bergson: The idea of the strong leader is still vivid....

[13:29] herman Bergson: the idea that an elite is in fact the ruling class....

[13:29] herman Bergson: Deep State is the new concept

[13:30] herman Bergson: Islamic extremism is mainly a war against White Supremacy, Western culture

[13:31] CB Axel: Elite what? Elite rich but morally bereft and bellicose idiot or elite educated individual?

[13:31] herman Bergson: And we believe that we are the better kind on this planet, I guess

[13:31] herman Bergson: no no CB....not the educated individual

[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): elite= thinking they are better then all others and can just trample them down i guess

[13:32] herman Bergson: Like Nietzsche said, Bejiita.....

[13:32] CB Axel: In the US, many people feel that the "elite" are over-educated like Obama.

[13:32] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): is there money involved with the elite?

[13:32] CB Axel: Intellectuals.

[13:32] herman Bergson: Totally Beertje

[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well elite goes together with greedy bastards in my view

[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): who have 98% of the worlds money

[13:33] CB Axel: It's different here in the US.

[13:33] herman Bergson: In what way CB?

[13:35] CB Axel: Elites are considered to be educated but weak. The Trump voters believe they are "down to earth" when all they are are ignorant morons who believe that might makes right.

[13:35] CB Axel: The definition of elite has changed.

[13:35] herman Bergson: That is what is called populism here......

[13:36] CB Axel: I agree with you that the "elite" are supposed to be the best at something, but here elite is more like "privileged" and in an ivory tower.

[13:36] CB Axel: Not the masses

[13:37] herman Bergson: Well, the elite are here too the people with money, not the intellectuals

[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): very true

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): the few lucky who think they can use everyone else as they like cause in their eyes they are worth shit

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): money and power don't give you rights to do this

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but thats what many of these think

[13:38] Tooyaa (thuja.hynes) is online.

[13:38] Ciska Riverstone: the problem is that the real elite in the said you said CB has submitted to some bullies leading the elite and that did lead to a totally crazy distribution of income which made the simple folks feel they can no longer relay and trust the elite

[13:38] herman Bergson: well...money is power

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and hence so many wars and poor people in the world

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): no nice situation for sure , it jtse lead to conflicts

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): just

[13:39] CB Axel: It has nothing to do with wealth. People equate elite with over educated and liberal.

[13:39] Ciska Riverstone: so those folks voted for their own trusted man who is as stupid as them - which makes them feel like theyknow them and can trust

[13:40] Ciska Riverstone: thats totally nuts of course

[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): like how they did with trump?

[13:40] CB Axel: I've always thought of elite as being the best at whatever they do, but that's not the way people use that word any more.

[13:40] herman Bergson: No...the rich are the elite these days....money is the elite

[13:41] Ciska Riverstone: yes true cb - but that really roots in the real elite not caring so much by whom they were lead as long as they had their income and could do what they want

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed elite used to be a good word before i guess but the word elite to me is since long = selfish ego

[13:41] Ciska Riverstone: the social component did miss

[13:41] CB Axel: I think that a lot of people voted for Trump because they treat elections like a reality show.

[13:41] Ciska Riverstone: more in the usa

[13:41] Ciska Riverstone: then here

[13:41] Ciska Riverstone: but here too

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): the word ace is hat was synonymous with elite before i guess

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ace to me is someone really good at anything

[13:42] CB Axel: Trump is not considered part of the "elite" here. He's considered a "man of the people," which, of course, is bullshit.

[13:42] Ciska Riverstone: they voted for trump because they did not trust in the "other elite" any more.

[13:42] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): ~Never argue with an idiot, they'll take you to their level then beat you with experience~

[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well thats a part of it too

[13:42] herman Bergson: Same happened in Italy

[13:42] Ciska Riverstone: yes

[13:42] Ciska Riverstone: italy same thing

[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaaw yes

[13:42] Ciska Riverstone: its like the mass of the people who are really struggling says

[13:43] Ciska Riverstone: ok if you do not do whats in our intrest

[13:43] herman Bergson: We too have a party who is against the establishment......

[13:43] Ciska Riverstone: we kill your system

[13:43] CB Axel: Another reason people like Trump is that he promised to get rid of politicians and "drain the swamp."

[13:43] Ciska Riverstone: yes  -he promised to make the big ones small

[13:43] Ciska Riverstone: which of course is crap ;)

[13:43] CB Axel: But all he's doing is replacing the corrupt politicians with even more corrupt business men.

[13:43] Ciska Riverstone: yes

[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): agree cb,

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): seems very much like another elite game

[13:44] herman Bergson: amazing indeed....and they still let him do it

[13:44] Ciska Riverstone: and that was sort of foreseeable if u were not a trump  voter

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cause he folled them, like hitler fooled everyone when he came to power

[13:44] Ladyy Haven (ladyy.haven) is offline.

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): that he was a good guy

[13:44] CB Axel: I like what Beertje said earlier:  .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): ~Never argue with an idiot, they'll take you to their level then beat you with experience~

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): when he was actually evil himself

[13:45] CB Axel: Very foreseeable, Ciska.

[13:45] herman Bergson: Beertje has the age to vent such a wisdom :-)

[13:45] CB Axel: °͜°

[13:45] Ciska Riverstone: ㋡

[13:45] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): lol

[13:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:46] herman Bergson: So let's savour her wise words and conclude our discussion :-)

[13:46] Ciska Riverstone: heeheh thanx herman

[13:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:46] herman Bergson: Thank you all again for your participation....

[13:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): oki cu next time ㋡

[13:46] herman Bergson: Class dismissed :-)

[13:46] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): :))) dankjewel Herman

721: Ernst Mach's philosophy of science...

Last lecture I introduced to you Ernst Mach  (1838 - 1916), the Austrian physicist. He had a great impact on the development of the philosophy of science.

   

After many scientific discoveries in physics, Mach became more and more interested in philosophy and history of science. 

   

He was fiercely opposed to any form of metaphysics and glorified the Enlightenment as the most important period in history. 

   

At first he, as a physicist, also doubted the existence of atoms. He also suggested to measure the images that we have of things outside of us instead of presenting them 'picturally'. 

     

Thus everything should at least in science be quantified and quantifiable.

  

Even Kant's theory that numbers are just there  a priori, he rejected. 

  

He believed that our number system was only one of the many possibilities; man had only developed it out of economic needs in order to be able to count quickly. 

   

All knowledge, according to Mach, could be reduced to sensory experience. The task of science was to describe all the sensory impressions as simply and neutrally as possible. 

  

He therefore considered physics, which provides the raw material for the experiences, and psychology, through which we are aware of our experiences, as the most important sciences. 

  

Mach chose psychology, but if he had lived today, he certainly had chosen neuroscience and neurobiology.

   

He certainly believed in the evolution of thought, with the survival of the fittest, in which all ideas, including the scientific ones, stem from our will to survive. 

  

In his view, a physical theory was nothing more than a description, and mathematics was merely a way of organizing these descriptions. 

   

He therefore found it more useful to talk about the usefulness of a theory than about whether it was correct or incorrect. 

   

The concept of truth, as eternal, unchanging something that is common, did not count as nonsense.

   

This last idea about truth and scientific theories fitted well with pragmatism, which was becoming increasingly influential in the US.

  

But the idea which had great influence on the development of epistemology and philosophy of science

   

was that all knowledge could be reduced to sensory experience and that there had to be a simple and neutral language to describe these knowledge data.

   

The term which nowadays is related to this point of view is reductionism. To say, that we reduce X to Y, seems a simple statement,

    

but hand it over to a philosopher and you are in big trouble with respect to its simplicity. We'll talk about it later.

   

We become even used to reductionist talk, because everywhere you can read or hear the thesis that everything we experience can be reduced to brain processes.

   

Next lecture we'll see what this reductionism means.... thank you again for your attention.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

                              See all projects on http://www.herman-bergson.nl

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Discussion

[13:22] herman Bergson: And I can add...NEXT WEEK no class....

[13:22] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah

[13:22] herman Bergson: Again I need a vacation and leave for THE island :-)

[13:23] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): to Schier again?

[13:23] herman Bergson: Indeed Beertje :-)

[13:23] oola Neruda: :-)

[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaaa i just was going to ask, Going to Shier again?

[13:23] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): :)) groot gelijk

[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nice

[13:23] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ahha good for you !!!!!!!

[13:23] herman Bergson: After copying and pasting about 500 texts and making links on pages.....phew....

[13:24] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): og

[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): looks like this can be really interesting anyway

[13:24] herman Bergson: close to a burnout ^_^

[13:24] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): omg

[13:24] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): OMG!!!

[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hahaha ow

[13:24] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): what  a lot of work

[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): thats LOTS of work for sure

[13:24] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): that is the sceond time the blog moved i think

[13:24] herman Bergson: yes I had to copy every text from the blog into my webpages

[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its more intense then my game coding projects put together

[13:25] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) whispers: but from now on it will be easier right?

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): moving that blog by hand

[13:25] herman Bergson: NO Gemma...this site is not the blog....

[13:25] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ahhha

[13:25] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!

[13:25] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...

[13:25] herman Bergson: yes the blog moved once

[13:25] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ok

[13:25] herman Bergson: This site is only the texts of the lectures

[13:25] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): got it

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah

[13:25] herman Bergson: I left out the discussions

[13:25] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ok

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): as i get it seems indeed easy to find things

[13:26] herman Bergson: you can find all subjects now....

[13:26] herman Bergson: In the blog it is almost undoable to find a subject

[13:26] herman Bergson: what year, what month?????

[13:26] herman Bergson: hopeless

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): there is no way there other then click on older lesson 1 page at a time

[13:27] herman Bergson: yes indeed

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but here indeed I can find stuff easily I see

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): giving it a testrun as we speak

[13:27] herman Bergson: oops

[13:28] Wisdomseeker (lissena) is offline.

[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and I aproove it!

[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:28] herman Bergson: Where did it go???

[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): what?

[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aa ok the Ipad thing

[13:29] herman Bergson: sorry  :-)

[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:29] roos Gartner is offline.

[13:29] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): we really did a lot of projects

[13:29] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): wow

[13:29] herman Bergson: Besides that....the story on reductionism is quite interesting....

[13:29] Anuska (anuska.loon) is offline.

[13:29] herman Bergson: We did indeed Gemma...

[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:30] Dien (djdien.bailey) is offline.

[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): lot of stuff

[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!

[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...

[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i cant believe I am still here

[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): all that work

[13:30] herman Bergson: Mach's ideas were innovative....

[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i think he is confused

[13:30] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): or maybe it is me

[13:30] herman Bergson: His disgust of metaphysics to begin with...

[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed, and soon everyone tried breaking the sound barrier

[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): lol

[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but i don't think any form of plane was invented then

[[13:31] Lente (lentelies.anatine) is offline.

[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): very early versions

[13:31] herman Bergson: No...Mach experimented with bulits, Bejiita

[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah

[13:32] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ciska

[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but he did research in thing like shock waves as i get it

[13:32] herman Bergson: But without him knowing this it applied to jet planes too

[13:32] bergfrau Apfelbaum: Ciiska:-))

[13:32] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): sh

[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hence the sound barrier limit was named after him, jist as volt is used cause Volta invented the battery

[13:32] herman Bergson: yes....shock waves caused by bulits

[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah

[13:33] herman Bergson: How he did it I don't know....

[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and these break the sound barrier indeed

[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): need to check a bit more on him

[13:34] herman Bergson: Due to his disgust of metaphysics, he also saw knowledge as a biological process in line with Darwin's ideas....

[13:34] herman Bergson: and his pragmatic approach to truth...also new

[13:35] herman Bergson: this man shaped a lot of our thinking in the 21st century, even when we don't realize that

[13:35] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): will have to check to see how

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:35] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): wonders if trump read him

[13:35] herman Bergson: well...I gave the example, Gemma....

[13:35] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yes

[13:36] Dings Digital: haha, Trump is breaking some barriers too :)

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): doubt that Trump denies all forms of science

[13:36] herman Bergson: we find it normal when some say that certain emotions are just the result of endorfines for instance

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): bur he likes barriers

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): lol

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa yes

[13:36] herman Bergson: YEs BEjiita....let's hope he wont break through the SANE barrier

[13:37] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): didn't he already?

[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): Hope so too but he already have it seems, like canceling that nuclear treaty with Iran

[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ww3 coming closer now?

[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): oh lord

[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): reaches for the doll

[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): give him a good one Gemma

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:38] herman Bergson: We are off topic Bejiita

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): i thought so to

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but it is as it should be toward the end

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): when he rejected metaphysics was he just being contrary?

[13:38] herman Bergson: So....enjoy your short vacation like I will :-)

[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): oh yes

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): looking forward to the continuation of this for sure

[13:39] Dings Digital: thank you

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): have a great vacation now Herman

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): I think some of the philosophers really developed their philosophies for that reason

[13:39] herman Bergson: Not contrary Gemma...he was a physicist....with strong empiricist convictions

[13:39] Dings Digital: they are humans after all :)

[[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!

[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah

[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): true

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:40] herman Bergson: That would be bad philosophers, Gemma....:-)

[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe

[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): we came across more than several

[13:40] herman Bergson: they had their principles :-)

[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): perhaps

[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i would suggest everyone visit this LEA sim

[13:41] herman Bergson: Who do you have in mind, Gemma?

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): LEA is nice

[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): The Philodophy of Furniture

[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): by Edgar Allen Poe

[13:41] Dings Digital: sounds fun

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed

[13:41] herman Bergson: Ohh?

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): philosophon about a sofa instead of in a sofa?

[13:41] herman Bergson: Where is that sim?

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): philospphing

[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): let me see if i can find the lm

[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa yes

[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): worth a check for sure

[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): LEA18 (171,199,22)

[13:42] herman Bergson: By the way...does everyone see the webpages behind me on the Pad???

[13:43] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): no it's empty

[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes

[13:43] Dings Digital: http://lindenarts.blogspot.de/2018/05/lea18-edgar-allan-poes-philosophy-of.html

[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ok now

[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): can see

[13:44] herman Bergson: you always can check out http://www.herman-bergson,nl when you see a blank screen here

[13:44] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ok

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well it is not more then right to give a philosophic thought to the sofas chairs ect we sit in when we do our philosophy

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:44] Dings Digital: goodbye everyone. thank you, herman!

[13:44] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): bye dings

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): oki have a good time all

[13:44] bergfrau Apfelbaum: Have a nice holiday week Herman and Class! [13:44] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): bye Dings

[13:44] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): see  you again

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): we do ㋡

[13:44] herman Bergson: You're welcome dings

[13:44] bergfrau Apfelbaum: byebye Dings:-)

720: Ernst Mach....

It is an interesting start, this first decennium of the 20th century. On the one hand, philosophers like Schopenhauer (+1860) and Nietzsche (+ 1900) stood at the threshold of the century.

    

They left us with what I already mentioned in the previous lecture: How could rationalism win if the irrational, the instinctive is so prevalent in life? 

  

Does rationalism really mean progress? Instincts are older and stronger forces. 

  

Certainly, they can be more atavistic and primitive, and even a dark force at times. But what is the profit if you deny them?

   

But on the other hand there was a completely opposite movement developing, caused by the growing interest in experimental physics.

   

There was developing an attitude, which focused fully on empirical data, test and measurements: the belief that eventually everything is physics.

   

Today we are quite used to the idea, that chemical processes are caused by molecules which are in fact collections of atoms.

  

We are not upset, when some scientists claim, that we are our brain, that everything that goes on in us, which we call emotions,

   

is nothing more than a complex total of all  kinds of biochemical processes, that mental disorder is just malfunctioning biochemical processes.

  

This view on our reality was mainly born in Vienna and a main role was played by Ernst Mach (1838 - 1916).

   

He was an Austrian physicist and philosopher, noted for his contributions to physics such as study of shock waves. 

  

The ratio of one's speed to that of sound is named the Mach number in his honor. 

   

As a philosopher of science, he was a major influence on logical positivism and  American pragmatism. 

   

Through his criticism of Newton's theories of space and time, he foreshadowed Einstein's theory of relativity.

   

As I mention logical positivism, Ernst Mach was of main importance for the development of the Wiener Kreis (Vienna Circle).

   

His philosophical ideas were extraordinary. He puts science on a continuum with earlier human activity, in fact with earlier animal activity. 

   

What began as simple adaptations that allowed instinctive responses to immediate conditions, gradually evolved into ever more complex capacities for response. 

  

Gradually life acquired memory and thus an awareness of a wider field of spatial-temporal relations than is present immediately to the senses. 

   

Memory then grew beyond individual memory and became communicated culturally. Science is a direct outgrowth of this deep natural process.

   

To quote Mach himself: “Here I wish simply to consider the growth of natural knowledge in the light of the theory of evolution. 

   

For knowledge, too, is a product of organic nature. 

  

And although ideas, as such, do not comport themselves in all respects like independent organic individuals, 

  

and although violent comparisons should be avoided, still if Darwin reasoned rightly, the general imprint of evolution and transformation must be noticeable in ideas also.”

   

And further, “We are prepared, thus, to regard ourselves and every one of our ideas as a product and a subject of universal evolution;

  

and in this way we shall advance sturdily and unimpeded along the paths which the future will throw open to us.” 

    

And we live in the scientific future Mach foresaw....and there is more to tell about what we learnt from Ernst Mach. 

   

Thank you for your attention....

   

The Discussion

[13:22] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): thank you Herman

[13:22] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:23] herman Bergson: I think we are too used to such ideas...nothing controversial about them anymore

[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed

[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): we take it for granted

[13:24] herman Bergson: yes...but that is the amazing thing....

[13:24] herman Bergson: what I want to show you..

[13:24] herman Bergson: how the 20th century brought us this....

[13:25] herman Bergson: in 100 years we changed more thanin the forgoing thousands of years

[13:25] herman Bergson: that is..our thinking about our reality

[13:26] herman Bergson: What I tell you here is what you do not know...

[13:27] herman Bergson: the fact that the way you think about reality and its relation with science isn't hardly a 100 years old

[13:27] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): what happened that we are thinking this way?

[13:28] herman Bergson: But I know...you just think...what  should I care about that ? :-)

[13:28] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): it's suddenly

[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and it all seem logical to us

[13:28] herman Bergson: yes..Bejiita...

[13:29] herman Bergson: we  take it for granted...are educated to think so in school

[13:29] herman Bergson: why it happened, Beertje....because of science...

[13:30] herman Bergson: Around 1900 people started experimenting with physics...

[13:30] herman Bergson: electricity, gasses

[13:30] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): i don't know to ask the question in english

[13:31] herman Bergson: all new to them....for us..ordinary stuff

[13:31] herman Bergson: I  understand Dutch Beertje :-)

[13:31] herman Bergson: I can translate your question too :-)

[13:31] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): er moet toch iets gebeurd zijn waardoor de filosofen anders gingen denken?....dat is een enorme verandering

[13:32] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): niet alleen de techniek, maar iets waardoor de mensen ánders naar de werkelijkheid gingen kijken

[13:32] herman Bergson: there must have happened something why philosophers got new ideas?

[13:33] herman Bergson: One thing you have to keep in mind is this...we are not talking about sudden changes...but slow processes

[13:33] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): 100 years changes is not a slow process

[13:34] herman Bergson: everywhere at universities people were experimenting with electricity and gasses

[13:34] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): 1000 of years were almost the same

[13:34] herman Bergson: no no..you are right....but look at the speed of changes in our days?!

[13:34] herman Bergson: we had telephones on a wire.....

[13:34] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes, we expect the changes to go fast

[13:35] herman Bergson: in less than twenty years we have smartphone addicts

[13:35] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): I always want to see the new gadgets:)

[13:36] herman Bergson: Looking at history and changes, you'll notice that the speed of changes increase

[13:36] herman Bergson: take gun powder...

[13:36] herman Bergson: in 1500 the managed to blow  holes in castle walls

[13:36] herman Bergson: in 1700 they had individual riffles

[13:37] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): big mistake

[13:37] herman Bergson: in 1900 they had the back loader gun....

[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): BOOOM BOOM!

[13:37] herman Bergson: somewhat later the automatic gun...machine gun....

[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:38] herman Bergson: killed the old cavallery...

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): scary stuff for sure

[13:38] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): the human body has no value anymore

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but its been around for very long

[13:38] herman Bergson: in less than 10 years they had bombs thorn out of airplanes...

[13:38] herman Bergson: and so on and so on...

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): meaningless wars

[13:39] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): at the end the earth will explode by us

[13:39] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): earth

[13:39] herman Bergson: It is not the wars I talk about....it is the speed of development...and unfortunately in arms you see that  too clearly

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): luckily and hopefully kim jong says he will stop with his nuclear arsenal

[13:40] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): lol. Bejiita, that's a good joke

[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but still there are more of these things

[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): it seems a bit like what now? shouldn't you blow up the world?

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): so im a bit split but it looks like progress is made

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): unless it is some nasty trap

[13:41] herman Bergson: this Kim fellow has given the world a bad example....

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed

[13:41] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): the Swedish government is warning his people for war, isn't it Bijiita?

[13:42] herman Bergson: He has shown the world that you really have a say as a small country when you have nuclear bombs and rockets

[13:42] herman Bergson: Iran is next in its urge to dominate the middle east

[13:42] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): do we have to be happy with all the developments ?

[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and Trump just declared war on them by closing the nuclear threaty

[13:43] herman Bergson: not at all, Beertje

[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and intensified the war in israel-palestine

[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): not clear what will happen now

[13:43] herman Bergson: Yes.Mr. Trump is removing the USA from the political map

[13:44] herman Bergson: Makes it a country of loonies...

[13:44] herman Bergson: apparent loonies

[13:44] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): why isn't there a leader who takes realy care for his people?

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): looney egos

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): just thinking of money

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): what life is that?

[13:45] herman Bergson: there is some explanation for that Beertje....

[13:45] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): invest in education, food, health?

[13:45] herman Bergson: you see it happen in African countries...

[13:45] herman Bergson: presidents who refuse to step down....

[13:46] herman Bergson: it seems that psychologically people in positions of power get mentally changed....

[13:46] herman Bergson: Like Maduro in Venezuela...

[13:46] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): it seems to me that it's always a man.....

[13:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah

[13:47] herman Bergson: they begin to believe that everything depends on them...and on the  other hand that there are dozens of com-plots  against them

[13:47] herman Bergson: Iguess it is a male disease indeed Beertje

[13:48] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): they just want more and more power

[13:48] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): even everyone hates them

[13:48] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its greed

[13:48] herman Bergson: No Bejiita...they just want to stay IN power....

[13:48] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): taking all for yourself

[13:48] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hmm but still

[13:49] herman Bergson: and it is a sickness, I'd say

[13:49] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): they use the people

[13:49] herman Bergson: But we are too far off topic now :-)

[13:49] herman Bergson: So a good moment to Dismiss Class...:-)

[13:50] herman Bergson: Thank you all again for you participation

[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): all data now safe on the new drive too

[13:50] Ciska Riverstone: thank you herman ㋡ thanx all

[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): thats good:9

[13:50] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): dankjewel Herman :)

[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): as usual

[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ad an interesting class

[13:50] herman Bergson: congrats BEjiita! What a relief!

[13:50] bergfrau Apfelbaum: interesting again! danke Herman and Class!!

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes now i don't have to worry bout that

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok cu around