The Greatest Inventions
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- Date Submitted: 03/30/2011 09:30 PM
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“The greatest inventions were produced in the times of ignorance, as the use of the compass, gunpowder and printing”. (Jonathan Swift)
Discuss.
Inventions have always been an important part of civilisation, as they are constantly progressing and adapting to suit modern needs. Inventions are the fundamentals of human society, as they add beneficial objects and ideas to the cultures of the world.
“The greatest inventions were produced in the times of ignorance, as the use of the compass, gunpowder and printing”. (Jonathan Swift)
This statement would not necessarily be considered true, for several reasons. The three inventions mentioned in the above quote, the compass, gunpowder and printing, were not produced in times of ignorance, as Ancient China, the origin of these inventions, was not an ignorant society. They were also not produced at a certain time, as inventions evolve gradually. As they could not be considered great, due to the fact that ‘great’ is a subjective term, and also that better inventions have been produced, nor were the compass, gunpowder or printing produced ignorantly, this statement would not be regarded as being true.
Ancient China would not be classified as an ignorant civilisation, and nor would the times surrounding the creation of the compass, gunpowder and printing. Ignorance is defined as being “The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed” (thefreedictionary.com, 2009). The times of Ancient China were not uneducated, as a number of great scholars, such as Confucius, had a large impact on education and knowledge of Ancient China. They were not unaware, nor uninformed, which is evident from the attentive behavior that was exemplified to the world around, and the strong beliefs that they held and displayed, through things such as astronomy, the concepts of Buddhism, astrology, and Feng Shui, a placement of objects they believed would generate balance with health, happiness, and prosperity. These are not things that...
Discuss.
Inventions have always been an important part of civilisation, as they are constantly progressing and adapting to suit modern needs. Inventions are the fundamentals of human society, as they add beneficial objects and ideas to the cultures of the world.
“The greatest inventions were produced in the times of ignorance, as the use of the compass, gunpowder and printing”. (Jonathan Swift)
This statement would not necessarily be considered true, for several reasons. The three inventions mentioned in the above quote, the compass, gunpowder and printing, were not produced in times of ignorance, as Ancient China, the origin of these inventions, was not an ignorant society. They were also not produced at a certain time, as inventions evolve gradually. As they could not be considered great, due to the fact that ‘great’ is a subjective term, and also that better inventions have been produced, nor were the compass, gunpowder or printing produced ignorantly, this statement would not be regarded as being true.
Ancient China would not be classified as an ignorant civilisation, and nor would the times surrounding the creation of the compass, gunpowder and printing. Ignorance is defined as being “The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed” (thefreedictionary.com, 2009). The times of Ancient China were not uneducated, as a number of great scholars, such as Confucius, had a large impact on education and knowledge of Ancient China. They were not unaware, nor uninformed, which is evident from the attentive behavior that was exemplified to the world around, and the strong beliefs that they held and displayed, through things such as astronomy, the concepts of Buddhism, astrology, and Feng Shui, a placement of objects they believed would generate balance with health, happiness, and prosperity. These are not things that...