1. "There was no system of American thought, but there were signs of American ways of thinking." Please support this statement through examples of the reading.
2. Read thoroughly the paragraph which begins, "The most fertile novelty of the New World was not its climate, its plants, its animals, or its minerals, but its new concept of knowledge..." (page 150 in my edition). Please comment...
29 comments:
1: I'm going to presume that meaning is the signs of american ways of thinking because i do not know alot of american songs.
Americans did not have a set way of thinking because even though they based their society off of European models there was great room for change because of the new land found in America. In America people from different areas were each conflicted with different problems as shown in Virginia with tobacco, and Georgia with hype. The signs of American thought could be viewed through the concept of common sense used as Boorstin describes as being "a philosophy which had no philosophers", and as Boorstin leads to showing that America had its own way of thought which was not academic nor formal but America came up with new solutions when problems arose.
2: This paragraph is mostly explaining all the oppurtunities that America has to offer people. From all the different colonies with their different niches there was something for everyone coming to start a new life in America. Though America had new things such as the animals, plants etc America offered a place where all types of new thought could dwell, America also offered a blank canvace for a new way of life.
1. America did not have a system of thought, because a system of thought would be a unitarian, fixed notion of knowledge, as was the case in England. American "philosophy," or pursuit of knowledge of the world, was based on necessity, rather than knowledge for the sake of knowledge. The quote at the bottom of page 150 that starts "the possession of truth..." shows this idea; that Americans need knowledge not so that they'll have it, but so they can use it and apply it to a real situation. Another new American notion was the notion of "common sense." Americans realized that their own cognitive abilities were far superior for evaluating their situation than any "knower"'s abilities. Common sense was "a philosophy which had no philosophers." because its entire premise was that each individual was his own channel of knowledge.
2. Beyond any other freedom America had to offer, such as religious freedom or financial freedom, was the freedom of knowledge. It was also a greater resource than all the tangible resources that existed beneath the American soil. This was because of the opportunities it offered. America offered freedom from the close-minded dependence on existing philosophy that plagued England. But Americans were free of these bonds, and this freedom took American thought to new heights.
1."There was no system of American thought, but there were signs of American thinking." This is an accurate statement, because, unlike in England, there was no expected history to refer to. Boorstin stated, "For Americans, ... freedom were not to mean merely the exchange of one set of idols for another; they meant removal into the open air." Because of this "open air" there really was no system. Also, most of those coming to the new world did not want just another England. They didn't want a system. This idea of freedom is just one of many American ways of thinking. Just like the shift to more casual church, the new Americans expressed unique thought by not depending on "sophisticated thinking" to back things up. In this way, openess was another way of American thinking.
2. Knowledge. This is what (Boorstin states) gave the light to the New World. Without it, the hope of a grreater oppertunity was only through more space geographically. That would not be enough to make it unique. Knowledge, and the mystery of a new place was what started America, and turned it into something so different than anything else. In the paragraph, it touches not only on knowledge, but the concept of knowledge that was unique to America. The concept that there is still mystery in the world, that it is possible to escape, and that you don't have to conform was crucial to the formation of America as we know it.
1. America had no system of thought because there was nothing to base current thoughts off of. If a nation learns from the past to better the future, America has no past and thus can't change the current actions to cuase a better future. "Men here were more interested in the in the elaboration of experience than in the elaboration of 'truth'." America didn't have a system of thought also because America wasn't yet thought of as "United States of America" but the independent colonies. Each colony had a spearate sense of thought that was best suited to each colony's particular needs.
2. The New World has so much unknown information to offer to those who seek it. People don't comeo to the new world to live in a better quality, but rather to experience new things.
1. “There was no system of American thought, but there were signs of American ways of thinking.” This quote agrees quite exactly with the point Boorstin is making in this chapter. Boorstin writes that there had been an “explaining” class of rulers and priests in many of the cultures in the past, whereas in America, “...life quickly proved uncongenial to any special class of “knowers.” There was no ruling authority to enforce a certain system of thinking, so thinking developed to fit the way of life in America. This life in the wilderness of America experienced by all colonists had forced them to focus on practical matters and common sense while abandoning being “professional thinker[s].” “It was less important that the mind be elegantly furnished than that it be open and unencumbered.”
2. This comment really emphasizes the difference between the Old World in England and the rest of Europe and this New World in America. It was not the difference in climate or abundance of resources that was important, these only helped the colonists to survive, but the opportunity to break free of old ways of thinking and more easily make needed changes to the old system. These changes were put into place by a new way of thinking, which focused more on practicality than on theories and philosophy, and helped adapt the old system to life in the New, and changing, World.
1. The American’s lack of a cluttered and extensive history allowed them freedom and mobility of thought, thus leading to Boorstin’s comment, “There was no American system of thought, but there were signs of American ways of thinking.” England’s thought system was fairly cemented by the time colonies were set up in the new world. The majority of the population put their travesty into only a few intellectual and religious thinkers whom they believed to hold all the knowledge. In America, this class of elite thinkers quickly dissipated, as no one could possibly have absolute knowledge of this strange new land. Instead, the American frame of mind changed from one bound by philosophy to one more dependent on the experiences of the many. It became unimportant that one had a sophisticated system of thought or governing. As Boorstin aptly states, “It was not the system of a few great American Thinkers, but the mood of American’s thinking,” that took over the new nation.
2. In a nation crowded with history, there is little room for movement in new areas of thought. The New World provided a sweet escape to a land completely untouched by European theory and philosophy. It was this precious gift which allowed colonists to invent a new concept of knowledge. In this virgin land, people could now see that not everything is set in stone, that the world changes and adapts, and so must we. The colonists were able to delve into un-walked paths which were previously governed for them by the cloistering English system. So indeed, “The most fertile novelty of the New World was not its climate, its plants, its animals, or its minerals, but its new concept of knowledge.”
1. By the early 17th century, systems of thought in America were developing. There was no set system of thought. The very idea of America was freedom. The freedoms of speech and thought. Ways of thought in America first developed from Europe, where the people had come from. They based their thoughts on European models. They had little knowledge of their surroundings and tried to plan their new lives. They based their thought on knowledge they had from Europe. Ultimately however, Americans had to learn through experience. They discovered more about how to survive and their surroundings. Once they had developed the best methods of survival and knowledge, they applied it to their lives. Along with this and common sense, they realized that their own cognition was the best form of attaining knowledge.
2. The knowledge developed was the most fertile thing of the New World because as the colonists tried to survive, they learned more about their situation. They learned from experiences and mistakes. With each step, their knowledge grew. Their new prosperity came from applying their own past knowledge but also grew as their ideas did. The freedom of knowledge was a great resource. They were able to learn freely through experience, not be tainted from thoughts of those before them. True, they based their knowledge initially on that from Europe, but ultimately, they discovered things on their own. They did not fully depend on Europe.
2. Although the New World climate, plants, animals, and minerals were very different from those found in England, these were not as impressive as the new concept of knowledge. Unlike in England where monumental accomplishments were made by the few elite, America had many interested in the knowledge that came with this novel land. Experience became their base for knowledge and an "elegantly furnished" mind didn't necessarily give one any advantage.
1. There was no set system of thought in America because American thought was generated by experiences. Take the puritans for example. Puritanism in the New World was based wholly on experience. The Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony applied their dogma to real life. This left them with experiences rather than theories. Virginia is also an example of applying theories to real life and ending up with experience. The people who went to Virginia, from England, applied English practices the American circumstances and ended up with experience and wealth. Whereas if they had just stayed in England, they would have ideas but no experience. Boorstin states, "If philosophy denies the innuendos of experience, the philosophy--not the experience--must be rejected."(pg.152) This statement shows the American mindset perfectly. In a competition between philosophy and experience, experience will always win in the eyes of Colonial Americans.
1. In the past, in Europe, the priest and ruling class had said what to believe in. They were the class that explored new ideas. This wasn’t the case in America. People were allowed to think how they wanted, they had more religious freedom, and they had vast amounts of open land in which to explore.
2. America introduced a new realm of possibilities. America showed Europe that not everything was exactly like they originally thought. The world was not flat, and there was new, undiscovered land. This brought the colonists and Europeans alike into a new age of thinking. The began questioning more than they had previously because they found that some of the things they believed for so long were not true. It began opening people’s minds to new ideas.
1. America didn't have a system of thoughb because it wasn't united yet. American thinking showed up in the individual colonies, with a focus on knowledge for experience, not just the sake of knowing things. "Men here were more interested in the elaboration of experience than in the elaboration of "truth"" (pg 150)
2. The New World gave Americans a chance for knowledge. "Men in the New World found unsuspected possibilities in life everywhere" The colonizers could live well from England's standards, but they also got a chance to discover and question parts of their new lives.
1.) American lack of a system of thought was mostly due to its lack of history. Because America was such a new country, it had no history to base or plan its future off of. Therefore, while there was a lack of "american thought", there were signs of new thinking. Also, it wasn't really a united America because each colony had different views and opinions, so there was little internal communication to develop a single "system of American thought".
2.) This paragraph discusses the opportunities America has to offer, focusing on its opportunity to seek knowledge. America was an escape from the English way of life, and was an opportunity for new ideas to be born.
1. Since America was a fairly new nation, there were no systems of thought, and according to Boorstin "Systems always breed more systems (pg.149)". This was due to the fact that America had no history to refer to, and it was their goal to completely brake away from England. The colonists now had to survive off from things of necessity instead of thought. For example, "Men here were more interested in the elaboration of experience than in the elaboration of truth. (pg. 150)" There was no authority that stated a rule about certain systems of thought however, it seemed as if they were trying to deter it. For example, "One of the ways in which American experience liberated the New World was by freeing men from the notion that every grand institution needed a grand foundation of systematic thought. (pg. 151)"
2. As America settled into their new land, they discovered the fertile climate for planting tobacco in Virginia and the new plants used for medicine to help with diseases such as a rattle snake bite, but they also discovered new opportunities for work and establishing a community. As was previously stated "Men here were more interested in the elaboration of experience than in the elaboration of truth. (pg. 150)" Even though men are more interested in the elaboration of experience, maybe that system of knowledge or elaboration or truth will come from the elaboration of experience.
2. America was the place where people finally realized that knowledge was different than what they originally thought it was. It didn't have to be gained through a few huge accomplishments by geniuses. It could be gained by several small accomplishments Not everything had to be done in one fell swoop.
2) It seems what Boorstin is trying to point out here is that no matter what approach settlers came with to America, the experience of setting up a colony acted as a teacher to those people. This means that concept never thought of before became evident in the minds of the colonists that gave great power to each of them. These ideas were unique to America and therefore were powerful in the country’s battle to becoming stronger. These ideas would probably be ones like the cotton gin, manifest destiny, and many others.
1. Americans did not have one set of ideal, showing that they have no set thought, but compared to the british they were all similarly liberal, and mostly religiously based.
2. The paragraph describes how life in america was free, and a new outlook on life. America became a new place where people could recreatre themselv, with boundless opportunities.
1. Boorstin said that, "There was no system of American thought, but there were sings of American ways of thinking." This is true because there was no main guiding idea behind America. It’s true that there are guiding principles to the founders of America but these are not unified (ie religious tolerance and a gentlemans’ place have nothing in common.” People went to America to get something and so they used thinking to create that, but there was no unified thought.
2. Boorstin is saying that even though people in America could live in their “old world” ways, they could also change anything they liked and achieve no heights. Even back then America was the land of opportunities
1. The idea that in America, “There was no American system of thought, but there were signs of American ways of thinking,” went to the support of the rejection of past knowledge held by the colonizers. Europe had to many systems of thought that went to create new institutions which then created more systems that in turn created more institutions, so when America started to prosper colonists were give an escape or liberation from all the systems that were bogging them down. In America you didn’t have to have years of academics and sophisticated thought to be a thinker. Intuitions, government, religion, and the concept of better living didn’t have to be based on systematic thought or theology. Americans focused more on actions than the right and wrong behind it, and they believed that it was more important to have an open unblocked mind than something of elegance. There was no one system of thought that everyone had to adhere to in American. “Men here were more interested in the elaboration of experience than in the elaboration of “truth,”” or simply that men in America wanted gain knowledge through experience rather than already perceived images of thought.
2. Boorstin believes that the New World’s greatest treasure to be had was not the climate, the animals, plants, or minerals but rather the concept of a new kind of knowledge. He says that while the New World’s goods and “wealth” were able to support the colonists just fine, it was their, “… realization that knowledge itself might be different from what men had before believed.” Discovering this American invention of the concept of knowledge apparently “influenced the world,” according to Boorstin, and allowed America a sense of liberation from older thoughts and knowledge.
1. “The most fertile novelty of the New World was… [its] new concept of knowledge.”(150) Due to the large changes from moving over from the stagnated concepts of knowledge and learning in Europe, to the vast changeable frontier of the New World, American thinking was obviously morphing and adapting away from that of European models. One of the main ideals was that the reasons for an action were less important than the actions themselves. Further, it was believed that experience must be accounted into a man’s way of thought. (151)
2. Perhaps the most important of the discoveries in the new world was that of new forms of Knowledge. That change above all others opened the floodgates to the change in lifestyles of the colonists. They realized that their preconceptions of what was truth and knowledge, who was wise and intelligent changed, and possibly for the better as it changed life in the colonies irrevocably.
Chapter 24
1. Unlike Europe, America had freedom to open thought. Many things could be changed from Europe because America’s roots were not so deeply planted. They realized that “grand institutions did not need grand foundation systems”. They could start America from scratch and only create what they wanted- this is true freedom. The American thought was majorly driven by the belief in the power and knowledge gained from experience. And this was the early colonists’ goal: to experience and put their words into actions to create a society that was different than England and Europe’s.
2. Relating to the previous question America was breaking free of its old restricted concepts from Europe. In a new land institutions were not rooted into society. The Americans were free to experience the New World and gain knowledge from their daily lives. The knowledge of the colonists was practical and applicable.
Taylor Oster 2009
1. As Boorstin stated in the chapter, "One of the contrasts between the culture of Europe and that of the United States is that the older culture traditionally depended on the monumental accomplishments of the few, while the newer culture...depended more on the novel, accreting ways of the many." This shows a way that American thought was not a singular, widespread idea, but the discoveries and application of new knowledge by all there, which could not be reined in by an institution of thinking that had reigned supreme for centuries, but used to create the modern identity of American thought. There was no singular, monolithic way which all followed, but American colonizers, in the face of a new territory and a future where the past of the land was unrestricting and near insignificant, were "more interested in the elaboration of experience than the elaboration of 'truth'". Boorstin also stated that "the more encumbered a society is with ancient culture and institutions, the more likely is is most profound and well-organized thought to diverge from its way of acting." Because America was free of the burdens of a prior history, it was a blank page, and its inhabitants more focused with application than consideration. America built its institutions upon experience wheras England built its experiences upon familiar old institutions. Most importantly, America was not a homogenous lot following a single code, like in the Old World, where all followed a system of thought created by few. "It was not the system of a few great American Thinkers," Boorstin states, "But the mood of Americans thinking." That in itself is an example of American thinking outside of a strict American thought.
2. It was in the New World America that the institution known as the "American Way of Thinking" was created. Colonizers from the Old World England fled that world because of the stifling walls erected by history and prior instutions that disallowed their inhabitance there, the greatest being religious intolerence. In America, a yet fresh, unconstructed and undefined land, people could feel, think and do as they wished with the freedom to gain and spread whatever knowledge without being confined by ancient institutions of British religion and society that before them had not existed there.
1. Boorstin describes a different overall American way of thought in that less emphasis was placed on individual great thinkers, but rather on new, collective ideas and actions. There was no class of “knowers,” as there was in Europe, and there was the opinion that actions were more important than the reasons behind them. American philosophy was not as academically oriented, and was more interested in people’s experiences, and their context, than any ultimate truth. There was also no belief that institutions had to be based on any sophisticated, refined, matured philosophy. Instead, whatever proved to work was accepted as valid.
2. This paragraph seemed to say that although America, because of its relative emptiness, provided the chance for people to continue old-world ways of thinking. Instead of continuing their old world thought, though, people obtained new ideas about how the world worked, how society could operate, and in general could form a different outlook, a different paradigm of life, than what had previously existed in Europe.
2. Read thoroughly the paragraph which begins, "The most fertile novelty of the New World was not its climate, its plants, its animals, or its minerals, but its new concept of knowledge..." (Page 150 in my edition). Please comment...
This statement is rather accurate with regards to several factors: Firstly, the general knowledge for how to live life in Europe (i.e. what to eat and what not to eat, which groups were hostile, which animals were dangerous, etc.) had to be left at the door when settlers came to the New World. What with new species of plants and animals and numerous groups whom the settlers knew nothing about, thus the settlers had to write their own book of general knowledge for which life in the colonies was necessary to have. Secondly, the knowledge that was developed in Europe was too archaic and unwieldy to use in the majority of cases in the New World.
There was no system of thought beause it was a new place, a new discovery, a new thought. "One of the contrasts between the culture of Europe and that of the United States is that the older culture traditionally depended on the monumental accomplishments of the few, while the newer culture-diffused, ellusive, process-oriented-depended more on the novel, accreting ways of the many." (150) So they had only the European ways to look to, which also left much spare room for changes and improvements.
2. I found this quote to be very interesting. It almost seemed to me that with the accidental discovery of America everyone dreamed of what more could be discovered, and what was discovered because of it.
1. "There was no system of American thought, but there were signs of American ways of thinking." Please support this statement through examples of the reading.
America, as a developing colony, had not developed the great individual thinkers that are famous in European history. Rather than individuals, “American ways of thinking” was described as collective thoughts of the community—a new, constantly morphing one that was able to develop new ideas without a rigid system in place.
2. Read thoroughly the paragraph which begins, "The most fertile novelty of the New World was not its climate, its plants, its animals, or its minerals, but its new concept of knowledge..." (page 150 in my edition). Please comment...
Like I mentioned previously, this refers to America’s newness. The term “fertile” in the quote refers to the communities ability to change rapidly and accept new and radical ideas because it is not deeply rooted in tradition like Europe. The “new concept of knowledge” was valuable yet easy to develop because of the flexibility in the colonies.
2. Read thoroughly the paragraph which begins, "The most fertile noveltly of the New world was not its climate, its plants, its animals, or its minerals, but its new concept of knowledge..." (page 150 in my edition). Please comment.
That this paragraph is explaining is how people that moved to America are gaining new knowledge thorugh there experiences in the New World. So what this paragraph is sayin is that knowlege is the most valuable thing because it opens up the world to many opportunities for the settlers.
1. "There was no system of American thought, but there were signs of American ways of thinking." Please support this statement through examples of the reading.
America was a new area, and had to history to refer to so thought was of what they had in England but the way of thinking was just how society found itself. There was no authority that had control on what man could think. So society more or less winged it based on how religious or important they were.
2. Read thoroughly the paragraph which begins, "The most fertile novelty of the New World was not its climate, its plants, its animals, or its minerals, but its new concept of knowledge..." (page 150 in my edition). Please comment...
People could change what they wanted in the new world because that’s why people left Europe to go to a new place that had to height on thought and knowledge.
2. Read thoroughly the paragraph which begins, "The most fertile novelty of the New World was not its climate, its plants, its animals, or its minerals, but its new concept of knowledge..." (page 150 in my edition). Please comment...
The paragraph is saying that the way knowledge developed in America was completely different than the was it had developed earlier in Europe. Nothing that was new to the settlers in America had a greater significance than the idea that they could explore knowledge without the guidlines of prior knowledge to restict them. In Europe, whenever a new way of thinking came about, it was always a revision of an old way of thinking, but in America, thought could develop completely independently from everything else.
Mira Schlosberg
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