(Y1 W50) Commit It to the Flames - It Contains Only Sophistry and Illusion

This week we'll start our last pre-Christmas set of readings. Of course, Christmas seems to last all December any more, only it appears in different dilutions at different times. It's also nearing the end of the year and we just finished two more authors: Hamilton and Hume. It always feels nice to finish an author - and some more than others.

Moby Dick - Herman Melville, Ch. 55-75: A squid is mistaken for Moby Dick. Stubb kills a sperm whale and eats part of it for dinner (yum!) while making the cook "preach" to the noisy sharks eating at the whale's body. The blubber is stripped off in layers. They cut off the whale's head and attach it to the side of the ship. Ahab beckons to the whale head to tell of the mysteries of the sea. Have a partial "gam" with the Jeroboam, who hunted Moby Dick unsuccessfully. So many non-fiction asides on the ins and outs of whaling. It's certainly interesting, but it'd never be published today. More biblical references with Jeroboam and Gabriel. The message: bad people hunt Moby Dick while the prophets warn them not to.

First Inaugural Address - Abraham Lincoln: Southern states have nothing to fear from a Republican administration. I have no intention to interfere with slavery where it exists. Our union must be maintained. If it's broken, it is so by you. Only debate is over issue of slavery and its extension. No state can lawfully exit the Union. If you want change, amend the Constitution. "Succession is the essence of anarchy." The issue of civil war is in your hands, not mine. Very politically savy. He said nothing of his own views on the issue while putting the burden of war on his opponents.

An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding - David Hume, Sect. X-XII: Evidence for Christianity less than sense evidence and "a weaker evidence can never destroy a stronger". Beliefs must correspond to the evidence. Eyewitness evidence only reliable when it conforms with natural uniformity: hence, miracles must be denied categorically. Religion is founded on "faith", not reason anyway. Can't argue for designer in nature because effects don't warrant the cause. "Design" in nature needs to take into account the "evil and disorder" of the world. Best skepticism is not total - but staying within the realm of uniformity and experience. So much can be said about this. I do wonder how much of this originates from his elitism. His position ends up not only being circular, but it also just looks like rather childish to cross your arms, fling your nose up in the air and say, "I'll only believe it if I see it...and even then I'm going to come up with some other explanation."

Federalist Papers #84, 85 - Alexander Hamilton: 84) Complaints over lack of a bill of rights are misplaced. Such provisions are embedded in the Constitution itself. It's better to not have one because they limit powers ungranted to the government. Can't define "liberty of the press" anyway. Its security should be "public opinion...general spirit of the people and the government". New Constitution wouldn't incur much new expense either. 85) Series of papers now completed. Most have already approved the Constitution. Don't reject it because it's "not perfect". "I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man," and more debate will only make it worse. Amending is better than starting over. "A nation without a national government is, in my view, an awful spectacle." Here comes one final strong push for a trust in centralized government. We certainly see here some shortsightedness on the bill of rights and on the increase of expenses with a national government.

On the Loadstone - William Gilbert, Book IV: What is the cause of magnetic variance? It's different from magnetic direction. Variance = changes over an arc based around meridian. Earth causes variance in compasses: raised land masses cause variance in ships near coasts. Higher latitudes have greater variance. Compasses are made differently, work differently and this causes problems in navigation. Theory used to predict that there are no hidden land masses in the Arctic Ocean. Here, we see theory (land mass causes variance) and a prediction based on it (no land masses in Arctic because no variance). Such condescending statements to his rivals though!

Politics - Aristotle, Book IV: Statesmen need to know: 1) best in abstract and 2) practice; 3) how governments formed/preserved; 4) best form of government in general. Examines constitutional government. There's as many forms of government as there are methods of arranging offices. Eight social classes. Five forms of democracy, three of oligarchy. Constitutional government is mix of democracy and oligarchy. Two parts of good government: goodness of laws, obedience of citizens. "Best political community is formed by citizens of the middle class." who hold upper/lower classes in check. Three elements of Constitution: 1) deliberative (like combined executive/legislative); 2) magistrates; 3) judicial. Much of this was laying out the possibilities, not giving his assessment; major exception being the assertion of the importance of the middle class.

Here's this week's readings:

1. Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Ch. 76-92  (GBWW Vol. 48, pp. 154-188)
2. “The Virginia Constitution” by Thomas Jefferson (GGB Vol. 6, pp. 502-517; Query 13 of Notes on Virginia)
3. “Geological Evolution” by Sir Charles Lyell (GGB Vol. 8, pp. 319-324; Principles of Geology Vol. III, Ch. I)
4. “Of Cannibals” by Michel de Montaigne (GBWW Vol. 23, pp. 143-149)
5. On the Loadstone and Magnetic Bodies by William Gilbert, Book V (GBWW Vol. 26, pp. 92-105)
6. The Politics of Aristotle, Book V (GBWW Vol. 8, pp. 502-519)