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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
 Posted - 09/10/2004 : 20:58:55 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by TFarnon
Math drives physics. Physics drives chemistry and engineering. Chemistry drives biology. Biology drives medicine, psychology and other stuff like that. If you can't do the math, it makes it very difficult to do the rest.
Yes, but all knowledge is communicated and passed on through language. If you could not read, you could not learn math. Thus, English (Literature) is the wellspring which provides the sustenance which all other disciplines require to grow. The invention of writing, and arguably the printing press, was the greatest leap in our long evolution, without which, no successful civilization could have flourished.
Without writing, the history of our kind would have been lost beneath the sands of time. Newton, Plato, Shakespear--all could not have pass on their work or discoveries. Progress would be impossible, each generation repeating only that knowledge which could be conveyed in the span of a campfire story. We would be doomed to darkness.
But through the miracle of the written word, all the ages of humanity are connected. Thoughts scribbled down by men centuries ago can be accessed and reconsidered during an afternoon at the local library. Not forgotten are the long ago dead of ancient wars and epic battles, for books remain to sing of their deeds. Maidens long withered in the grave dance again in the minds of readers. Kingdoms are reborn. The whole of humanity stands resurrected. I ask you, what other pursuit of men can boast such claims? What else could be as worthy?
If is for these reason and more that I selected English in the poll.
p.s. slight bias--I was an English major and I sucked at math. |
"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
| Edited by - H. Humbert on 09/10/2004 21:03:53 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 09/11/2004 : 03:11:32 [Permalink]
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This is an old one, but relevent. It's good to see it's returm.
I'm agreein' with Double H; reading is absolutly the most important. But I must temper that by stating that the child must understand what the text implies. Thus, we come to critical thinking, something that seems to be neglected if not discouraged these days.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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