passions of inquiry

I think it is really interesting that this chapter opens with a discussion of wonder as "musing admiration" in the sense that wonder is passive and rather uninquisitory whereas curiosity is much more active and full of intent to discover the meaning behind this wonder. This ties is really well with what we were discussing at the end of class on Tuesday (props to McCrickerd) because I once believed that people today are much more curious and less relient on pure wonder, but after reading this Newton example, I feel like that thought has changed. We seem to be generally apathetic towards wonder today, in a sense that we rely heavily on science to tell us what is wonderful, but with that we have also lost a lot of what makes us curious individuals.

"The senses were first snared and lulled by delightful novelties; understanding snapped to attention as novelty deepened to philosophical anomaly; and body and mind nobilized to probe the hidden cause of apparent marvel (304)"

I think that people today are less likely to "delight in novelties" and we tend to reject that which is different or wonderful in hopes that science will tell us what to do/think about the natural order of the world. Maybe this is characteristic of human imagination in our time, whereas in Newtons time, that which was new and wonderful caused excitement and hightened curiosity, instead of confusion and repulse.

These novelties were was served as catalyst to scientific inquiry in the 17th century and out of this, dramatically new ideas came forward. For example, Newtons theories on light and colours came out of his wonder at the intensly coloful result of light passing through a prism. I can't really think of any examples in todays scientific world that began with pure wonderment? Can anyone else? I think it is interesting that something so sensible and direct as scientific inquiry could come out of pure wonderment, imagination, admiration, and curiosity. These words, to me, seem completely contradictory to sensibility or fact.

We talked in class also about a role of emotion in inquiry. This chapter addresses how emotion and sensibility fade in and out throughout a history of human imagination. Additionally morals, passions, and virtues begin to play a role in determining what is worthy of inquiry, making pure wonder a tool of the past, and turning more towards stable emotions as a way of building curiosity. This is seem much more today then a method of pure wonder and admiration.

I also like how chapter 8 points out that passion and inquiry are not just scholarly attributes, but rather important for general curiosity and discovery. Learning is built apon a base of curiosity and emotional attachement towards subject matter.

Wonder is often seen as a vulgar, or infantile way of viewing the world. It was not always seem as a scholarly attribute but rather as a recreation or hobby. I like how this book views wonder as a very signifigant way of discovering the natural world.

more to come later on ch9