Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 13, 1965)
18th Century Discourse Subject of HC Lecture By RON TERPKNING Emerald Staff Writer Jean d’Alembert’s • Prelimin ary Discourse to the Encyclope dia of Diderot." a work which (jossesses many of the character istics of the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century, and its re lation to the science ol that pe riod were dealt with Monday by Thomas L. Hankins of the Uni versity of Washington. Before treating d'Alembert's re tortion to the science of the En lightenment, Hankins presented some of the problems facing a his torian of the eighteenth century. While it is customary for most historians to follow specific his torical ideas, tracing them from one individual to another to show how their influence is transferred, this is impassible when one stud ies the Enlightenment, according to Hankins. Because the thinkers of the En lightenment spread their interests widely, historians of the science of this period. Hankins said, have to study a problem in relation to its entire environment. As an example, while d’Alembert was primarily a mathematician, he wrote in such varied fields as mu sic. art. poetry, history, and the ology. Can't Isolate Thoughts The • philosophes" had such wide-ranging interests that it is impossible to take any part of their thought in isolation. Han kins presented the “Preliminary Discourse" as an example of then interests. In the “Discourse" one sees an “attempt to deal with all the aspects of human life and thought.” In the Preliminary Discourse,’ according to Hankins, one faii^c many of the characteristics of the Enlightenment. Some of these are a “violent anti-clericalism,” and an “emphasis on natural law as opposed to revealed laws of re ligion.” Anyone who accepted these and other tenets could call himself a “philosoph,' said Hankins. In the 18th century the term was ap plied somewhat loosely and al most anyone, if he wished, could call himself a “philosoph.” Although the philosophy of the 18th century is often thought of as inferior to that of the 17th, the ideas of the 18th century wri ters became more widely known I because they had a broad base | of support. Account for Success Hankins held that the propa gandization and the “missionary . zeal" of the “philosophes" ac I counted for much of their suc I cess. Having much more popu lar support than the 17th cen tury thinkers, the men of the 1 Enlightment reaped the harvest of the previous century. The "Preliminary Discourse” of d'Alembert is a good example, ac cording to Hankins, of the univer sal mind of the 18th century phil ' osophers. In fact the "Encvclo I pedia of Diderot” was the “most I important doctrine of the En ' lightenment,” being characteris tic of the whole period. Hankins explained d’Alembert’s part in the "Encyclopedia” as necessary to add "the trappings of respectability” to the enterprize Condillac. Rousseau and Diderot, fellow companions of d’Alembert, had all written heretical works. D'Alembert, being highly re spected, enabled the group to pre sent the "Encyclopedia” with less worry of censorship. Disagreement Although all four of these men were involved in the "Encyclo ' pedia” and agreed on many I things, the document brought out some of the areas in which they : disagreed In fact, Hankins said that in 1758 d’Alembert left the enterprize It is possible, said Hankins, that his departure resulted from his highly sensitive” nature since he was bearing the brunt of the at- J tacks on the "Encyclopedia.” How-1 ever, he held that there was an-; other more important source of j discontent. D’Alembert, believing that ; mathematics was the key to all i sciences, insisted in rigid mathe I matical proofs for all truths. Ex ' periments. he believed, were not valid. Diderot, however, having no enthusiasm for mathematics, turned to the liberal arts. D’Alembert, although he,, op-! posed several of Descartes' ideas in the "Encyclopedia” in favor j of Newton, actually, according SUCCESSFUL SECRETARIES Grace Ball SECRETARIAL COLLEGE San Francisco by the Goi<1en Gate FOttB SPECIALIZES SECRETARIAL COURSES • Executive Secretarial Course for. College Women • Intensive Secretarial Course • Legal Secretarial Course • Electronics Technical Secretarial Course NATIONAL PLACEMENT SERVICE ENROLLMENT OATES: JULY6- SEPTEMBER 20 Send for College Catalog: 525 Sutter Street, corner Powell San Francisco, California 94102 GERMAN AUTO SERVICE Volkswagen Specialists • FACTORY TRAINED IN GERMANY • WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEED • LOW REPAIR CHARGES • FULLY EQUIPPED TO HANDLE ALL GERMAN MAKES 2045 Franklin Blvd. 342-2912 to Hankins, agreed with him in some areas. Like Descartes, d' Alembert held that the mind was responsible for forces in mech anics He also believed that me chanics could be based on in nate ideas Diderot, agreeing with Newton, based mechanics on ex perimental evidence. Rousseau, said Hankins, also diverged into another line of thought. He held that truth was not a creation of the mind but a sensation of the heart. Thus he began the Romantic movement. Rousseau's ideas eventually achieved greater popularity. Kohistan Art Browsing Topic Mark Sponenburgh, professor of art at Oregon State University and a former University faculty member, will deliver an illus trated Browsing Room Lecture Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Sponenburgh will speak on "Art Forms of Kohistan." Kohi stan is a hilly region in Pakistan lying between Karachi and Seh wan in the Dadu District. From 1958 to 1961 Sponen burgh was in Pakistan as profes sor of fine arts and Principal (head) of the Faculties of Art, Architecture, and Industrial De sign at the National College of Arts there. Educated at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, the Ecole Des Beaux Arts in Paris, the Univer sity of Cairo, and the University of London, he joined the faculty of the University of Oregon in 1946 He taught here for ten years. CORE Plans Fund Raising Two fund-raising projects have been scheduled by the Eugene Chapter of the Congress of Ra cial Equality (CORE) to help ii nance a project set for this sum mer in Louisiana by the national organization. A rummage sale will be held ‘ Thursday at 31 W. Seventh Ave. Anyone wishing to donate arti cles may contact Mrs. Arthur Hanhardt, 342-1526, or Mrs. Ran dal Cruikshanks. 345-4783. Fi nancial contributions will also be accepted at Eugene COKE, Post Office Box 1544, Eugene. Checks should be made out to “CORE Summer Project.” A food sale will be held on, April 22 at the New World Cof fee House, between 10th and 11th avenues on Alder. The sale will start at noon. Private Line 3 TUESDAY 7:00 7:15 “World War II: Background and Causes”. Beginning special three part series designed as resource materials for Political Science [ and History. This special film Ideals with Versailles; rise of I communism and fascism; Ger j man invasion of Poland. 7:30-7:45 !“To Drive or Not to Drive— That’s the Question” . Now! the inside story on parking at the U. of O.! An imaginative film, developed by a group of U. of O. students dealing with the problem we all face—how to, find a parking place at 9 MWF! Filmed on campus—you may be in it! - TODAY’S STAFF Night Editor: Phil Sernas. Desk Editor: Cliff Sanderlin. Reporters: Dave Benedetti and Ron Terpening. Proofreader: Vivian Wilson. PATRONIZE YOUR • ADVERTISERS • THOMAS HANKINS. vlsitiwt lecturer from the University of Washington, delivered an Honors College lecture on d’Alembert's “Preliminary Discourse to the Encyclopedia of Diderot” and its effect on the science of the Enlightenment Monda>. Photo by Walt Biddle Portraits luj CjeOrqe ’ SCHOOL SPECIALS France Studios 4 Poses To Choose From Price includes retouching of any one negative GROUP NO. 1 I ea. 8 x 10 COLORED IN OILS 1 ea. 8x10 PREMIUM Gold Tone 2 ea 5x7 PREMIUM Black and White 1 2 ea. 2'4 x 3'4 BILLFOLD Black and White 1 ea. 8x10 GOLD TONE PREMIUM 2 ea. 8x10 BLACK AND WHITE PREMIUM 2 ea. 5x7 BLACK AND WHITE PREMIUM 12 ea. 2'/4 x 3'A BILLFOLD Black and White 1045 Willamette 343-2816 ALL FOR ONLY GROUP NO. 2 ALL FOR ONLY APRIL SAVINGS! TV SETS $20 to $40 Quality sets available at more than reasonable rates. Don't miss his special. Is your TV picture clear or clouded? Our fully trained technicians make TV repairs promptly and expertly. TV SPECIALITY SHOP across from Tiffany's Good Service — Reasonable Rates 1927 FRANKUN 343-1767
