Comments on: Geist der Neuzeit: The Spirit of Modern Times http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/01/20/geist-der-neuzeit-the-spirit-of-modern-times/ a blog about information Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:37:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dominic Sayers http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/01/20/geist-der-neuzeit-the-spirit-of-modern-times/comment-page-1/#comment-263935 Dominic Sayers Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:27:20 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/01/20/geist-der-neuzeit-the-spirit-of-modern-times/#comment-263935 In a hundred years, people will probably look back at today's efforts to reinvent commerce in a digital world with some amusement too. From today's perspective, the sort of solicitous paternalism practised by Quakers and Fabians a hundred years ago does look patronising and naive. But they were making it up as they went along. It was better than what went before, at any rate. I am less nostalgic about the Arts and Crafts movement that went along with it - that has just left us with an estate of dark, poky and over-embellished houses and some artwork of dubious merit. Sean, you are right but you are a Modernist and an iconoclast. I like to think there is room for progress in the world while still respecting Proverbs 23:10 :-) In a hundred years, people will probably look back at today’s efforts to reinvent commerce in a digital world with some amusement too.

From today’s perspective, the sort of solicitous paternalism practised by Quakers and Fabians a hundred years ago does look patronising and naive. But they were making it up as they went along. It was better than what went before, at any rate.

I am less nostalgic about the Arts and Crafts movement that went along with it – that has just left us with an estate of dark, poky and over-embellished houses and some artwork of dubious merit.

Sean, you are right but you are a Modernist and an iconoclast. I like to think there is room for progress in the world while still respecting Proverbs 23:10 :-)

]]> By: Steve Freeman http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/01/20/geist-der-neuzeit-the-spirit-of-modern-times/comment-page-1/#comment-263661 Steve Freeman Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:04:22 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/01/20/geist-der-neuzeit-the-spirit-of-modern-times/#comment-263661 A hundred years ago there was a lot of romantic nonsense talked about the Middle Ages (some of which I'm addicted to), largely a reaction to the worst aspects of the Industrial Revolution. Almost none of the statements in that excerpt are true, or possibly even useful. What we /can/ learn from this material is how bad we all are at understanding the evidence when we have a case to make... A hundred years ago there was a lot of romantic nonsense talked about the Middle Ages (some of which I’m addicted to), largely a reaction to the worst aspects of the Industrial Revolution. Almost none of the statements in that excerpt are true, or possibly even useful. What we /can/ learn from this material is how bad we all are at understanding the evidence when we have a case to make…

]]> By: JP http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/01/20/geist-der-neuzeit-the-spirit-of-modern-times/comment-page-1/#comment-263535 JP Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:42:53 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/01/20/geist-der-neuzeit-the-spirit-of-modern-times/#comment-263535 :-) differences are what we learn from. Remember this was written a hundred years ago. :-) differences are what we learn from. Remember this was written a hundred years ago.

]]> By: Sean http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/01/20/geist-der-neuzeit-the-spirit-of-modern-times/comment-page-1/#comment-263494 Sean Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:33:16 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2008/01/20/geist-der-neuzeit-the-spirit-of-modern-times/#comment-263494 Hmmm. I think I'll probably just let you read this and accept your takeaways; I know you can't judge a book by one excerpt but it doesn't inspire me...I also know that it is often more valuable to read ideas you disagree with (if eloquently and intelligently articulated) but I'm just not sure I could digest very much thinking along the lines that our modern world has much of anything to envy from the Middle Ages. "Solicitous paternalism?" Sounds pretty bloody awful to me - downright patronizing... and btw music, folkarts and handicrafts are going pretty damn well in 21st century-land. How about "then there was famine, and plague and life-expectancies of 35 years...etc etc" I have just one word for the concluding sentence of this excerpt...can you guess? (How about:) Bollocks! Hmmm. I think I’ll probably just let you read this and accept your takeaways; I know you can’t judge a book by one excerpt but it doesn’t inspire me…I also know that it is often more valuable to read ideas you disagree with (if eloquently and intelligently articulated) but I’m just not sure I could digest very much thinking along the lines that our modern world has much of anything to envy from the Middle Ages. “Solicitous paternalism?” Sounds pretty bloody awful to me – downright patronizing… and btw music, folkarts and handicrafts are going pretty damn well in 21st century-land. How about “then there was famine, and plague and life-expectancies of 35 years…etc etc” I have just one word for the concluding sentence of this excerpt…can you guess? (How about:) Bollocks!

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