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edenfallingMy first essay for the Economic History of the West is due on Sunday. I have been rereading this module's assigned texts in search of useful quotes, and I am renewed in my conviction that Aristotle is a bizarre mix of "that makes perfect sense and you explained it well," "I disagree, but given different cultures, technology levels, and time periods, I can see why you think that," and "FUCK NO WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" The third category is of course a subset of the second, but there are limits on what I can swallow as just being cultural differences. Some things are morally wrong and I don't care how much sophistry or appeal to tradition you use to justify them.
Also, Thomas Aquinas is mind-numbing to read, because he is so formulaic. On the one hand, it's helpful to realize that all his arguments follow a similar structure -- you don't get lost, and it's always clear which points he agrees with or disagrees with. On the other... Here's a short sentence. It has four words. Here's another short sentence. These sentences get boring. The pattern is deadening. The mind blanks out. It's hard to focus.
Aquinas isn't doing that exact thing, obviously, but the porridge-brain aspect of his incessant, unbroken pattern is very similar. Plus he's... well, he's very medieval Catholic and while he makes some allowances for practicality, the society he'd like is, shall we say, very straitlaced and restricted.
...
I mean, yay primary sources and all that! Yay actual windows on actual people's thoughts in different times and situations! But frankly, I like the other two textbooks we've been using in this module MUCH more.
Also, Thomas Aquinas is mind-numbing to read, because he is so formulaic. On the one hand, it's helpful to realize that all his arguments follow a similar structure -- you don't get lost, and it's always clear which points he agrees with or disagrees with. On the other... Here's a short sentence. It has four words. Here's another short sentence. These sentences get boring. The pattern is deadening. The mind blanks out. It's hard to focus.
Aquinas isn't doing that exact thing, obviously, but the porridge-brain aspect of his incessant, unbroken pattern is very similar. Plus he's... well, he's very medieval Catholic and while he makes some allowances for practicality, the society he'd like is, shall we say, very straitlaced and restricted.
...
I mean, yay primary sources and all that! Yay actual windows on actual people's thoughts in different times and situations! But frankly, I like the other two textbooks we've been using in this module MUCH more.
