Thanks Jess - very thought-provoking! I would probably quarrel with the Dictionary's second definition as I always thought that is Panglossianism and is absurd - I knew Voltaire wrote Candide as a response but had to go and Google the book to remind myself of the detail - I tend to just recall that I always disagree with his conclusion (that the world is so rotten the only logical thing to is cultivate your own garden - very self-centred). But that's by-the-by - I have always loved Gramsci's formulation "I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will."
Antonio Gramsci in a Letter from Prison (December 1929) - although apparently he didn't invent the phrase but as he wrote from a Fascist prison in Mussolini's Italy where he eventually died I think that is a bit nit-picking; anyway if he could maintain an optimism of the will in those circumstances its the least we can do!!
This is great historical perspective! I haven’t studied philosophy at all so that one definition was admittedly a little basic. Off topic but there is an amazing documentary about Bernstein where they talk a bit about his musical Candide. (Much better than the biopic IMO)
Thanks Jess - very thought-provoking! I would probably quarrel with the Dictionary's second definition as I always thought that is Panglossianism and is absurd - I knew Voltaire wrote Candide as a response but had to go and Google the book to remind myself of the detail - I tend to just recall that I always disagree with his conclusion (that the world is so rotten the only logical thing to is cultivate your own garden - very self-centred). But that's by-the-by - I have always loved Gramsci's formulation "I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will."
Antonio Gramsci in a Letter from Prison (December 1929) - although apparently he didn't invent the phrase but as he wrote from a Fascist prison in Mussolini's Italy where he eventually died I think that is a bit nit-picking; anyway if he could maintain an optimism of the will in those circumstances its the least we can do!!
This is great historical perspective! I haven’t studied philosophy at all so that one definition was admittedly a little basic. Off topic but there is an amazing documentary about Bernstein where they talk a bit about his musical Candide. (Much better than the biopic IMO)
Great work with the new platform!
Thank you for the tutorial! I love it!