In Alexis de Tocqueville's essay, "Democracy in America," he observed that Americans tend to value and prioritize practical things. They are often focused on material progress, individual pursuits, and the pursuit of wealth and comfort. This emphasis on practical matters can lead to a loss of track or disregard for the ideas and principles of their ancestors.
Tocqueville noted that Americans, in their pursuit of material success and immediate gratification, may overlook the deeper philosophical and intellectual foundations that shaped their society. This includes losing track of the ideals of liberty, democracy, and civic participation that were instrumental in the formation of the American nation. Tocqueville warned that this emphasis on practical matters and disregard for the ideas of the past could have consequences for the long-term sustainability and well-being of American society.
Francis Bacon is known for pioneering the scientific method and advocating for a new empirical approach to understanding the natural world. He is often regarded as the father of empiricism. Bacon's work, particularly his book "Novum Organum," emphasized the importance of observation, experimentation, and systematic data collection in scientific inquiry.
In Ostrander's book, the author suggests that colleges are under pressure to maintain enrollment and ensure that students remain enrolled. One strategy that colleges employ is to make the admission process relatively easy to attract a higher number of applicants. By simplifying the application process, colleges can increase their pool of prospective students.
Once enrolled, colleges also strive to make it easy for students to stay in and complete their degree programs. This can involve providing academic support services such as tutoring, mentoring programs, and academic advising to help students navigate their coursework and stay on track towards graduation. Additionally, colleges may offer a variety of extracurricular activities, clubs, and campus resources to enhance the overall college experience and foster a sense of community, which can contribute to student retention
Leo Strauss was primarily concerned with the philosophical and intellectual trends of his time, particularly positivism and capitalism.
In his essay, Leo Strauss critiqued positivism, which is a philosophical approach that emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence and scientific methods in explaining and understanding the world. Strauss was critical of positivism's narrow focus on empirical observations and its tendency to reduce all aspects of human life to scientific explanations. He argued that positivism disregards the deeper questions of meaning, purpose, and morality, which cannot be fully understood or explained solely through scientific inquiry.
In Plato's dialogue "Phaedrus," Socrates asks the admirers about the subject matter of the dispute they were watching. He inquires whether the participants were discussing significant or important matters. Socrates believed that engaging in fruitful and meaningful discourse was essential for the pursuit of wisdom and understanding. By questioning the admirers about the nature of the dispute, Socrates aims to determine the intellectual value and significance of the conversation they observed.
In Plato's essay, "The Republic," a just soul is described as a person who possesses a specific set of qualities and virtues. According to Plato, a just soul is one that is in harmonious balance, where reason governs the desires and emotions.
Plato argues that a just soul is composed of three parts: reason (the rational part), spirit (the spirited or emotional part), and desire (the appetitive part). The just soul is one in which reason dominates and guides the other two parts. Reason seeks wisdom, understanding, and the truth, and it directs the spirited and appetitive parts towards virtuous behavior and the pursuit of the common good.
In 1861, the completion of a Ph.D. at Yale University changed the academic landscape in Leo Strauss' essay.
Leo Strauss was a prominent philosopher and political theorist who lived from 1899 to 1973. While he wrote extensively on various subjects, including philosophy, politics, and ethics, it is not accurate to attribute a specific change in his work or ideas to the completion of a Ph.D. at Yale in 1861. It is worth noting that Strauss did earn a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Hamburg in 1921 and went on to have a significant impact on political philosophy and the interpretation of classical texts. However, the statement connecting a change in Strauss' work to Yale and the year 1861 is not factually accurate.
