Post Medieval:
1500 to 1950
Philosophy begins in wonder, but matures in evidence, humility, and the courage to keep refining what we believe.
Wisdom Mix.
Here are 10 random key ideas and takeaways.
1.
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The Williams parable is about government. A response to the colonies in New England inacted the same restrictions they escaped.
Subject: Separation of Church and State.
Government should act like we all do on a ship. When on a ship out at sea, the captain is in charge and primarily concerned with a safe trip across the ocean. On any given ship will be a mix of religions, races, and worldviews. The captain must be concerned about safety and should allow all to practice whatever traditions they want so long as they don’t hurt others.
2.
Quote.
- David Hume.
- 1748.
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Your confidence in an idea, whether scientific or spiritual, should rise with support, not desire.
Subject: Belief.
To live well requires living in reality. A clear thinker does not believe harder just because an idea feels meaningful, familiar, or comforting. Some mysteries deserve wonder, but belief should still be proportional to evidence, logic, testing, and trustworthy guidance. Thinking well means letting confidence grow only when support earns it.
3.
From History: 1854.
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The story of John Snow in 1854 reminds us that good reasoning lets confidence follow evidence, not fear, habit, or public assumption.
Subject: Evidence-Based Reasoning..
John Snow’s Broad Street Pump story shows how belief should change. Public belief blamed bad air, but Snow followed the evidence to contaminated water. Weak induction fed the wrong conclusion; disciplined observation and reasoning corrected it. Confidence became stronger because the explanation fit reality better.
4.
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Explore the use of this term over the centuries.
Subject: Separatist Term & Epistemology.
If you use the modern definition of separatist that includes intolerance of others, then Roger Williams was not a separatist. Furthermore, he supported all people living, and working together in the same community for the common good. Sometimes people forget the context of the time and conflate his desire to separate from the Church of England run by the government with the separatist movement based on races. I think some with a desire to promote white supremacy do this on purpose.
5.
Quote.
- Max Planck.
- circa 1900.
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Breakthroughs often occur when conviction gives way to honesty.
Subject: Planck Constant.
Planck didn’t advance physics by defending what he believed, but by surrendering it when the evidence refused to cooperate. His “act of despair” reminds us that truth doesn’t yield to confidence. It yields to honesty—especially at the moment when our most trusted explanations stop working.
6.
From History: born 1879.
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Einstein taught us that mass and energy are two forms of the same thing and that gravity is better understood as the curvature of spacetime that guides motion.
Subject: Albert Einstein.
Before Einstein, we treated gravity, matter, and energy as separate things. After Einstein, we saw a deeper unity. Mass and energy are two forms of the same thing, like ice and water are two forms of H₂O. Gravity changed too. It was no longer just a pulling force, but the curvature of spacetime guiding how things move.
7.
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Roger Williams remained part of the colonial conversation long after banishment, proving that difficult ideas do not disappear just because authorities reject them.
Subject: Roger Williams.
Roger Williams was not a brief disturbance in New England history. His ideas endured, his relationships continued, and even those who opposed him had to keep reckoning with him. Some people lose the battle in their own time and still help shape the future.
8.
Quote.
- Roger Williams.
- May 6, 1682..
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We don’t know exactly when Roger Williams was born, nor died. For his birth, we don’t even know the year. He was born circa 1602. For his death, we know for sure it was 1683 and around March.
Subject: Roger Williams.
The exact birth and death dates of Roger Williams has been lost to history…so far at least. We think he was born around 1602, give or take a few years. We know he passed in 1683, and by April 1st. We also know he was alive on January 15th. We also believe he was about 80 or 81 when he passed. It’s interesting how much is lost to time for even the famous just a few hundred years ago.
9.
From History: born 1564..
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Galileo, the Father of Modern Physics, showed that careful observation and math could overturn ancient certainty.
Subject: Observational Empiricism.
By 1610, Galileo started transforming humanity’s view of the universe through observation and math. His 1638 work Two New Sciences laid foundations for physics and influenced later breakthroughs, including calculus.
10.
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Voltaire’s journey reminds us that intellectual freedom often comes at a cost but also shows how the power of ideas can challenge authority, inspire change, and reshape the world.
Subject: Origin Story: Voltaire.
The Enlightenment didn’t begin in lecture halls; it began in prison cells. Voltaire’s story reminds us that ideas often emerge under pressure, not comfort. Suppression doesn’t kill truth—it tests it. When expression is punished, courage becomes the engine of progress, and wit becomes a weapon against power.