Alexander Rixe

4/26/17
Professor Jonathan Noel
My Renaissance

My Renaissance

You, Professor Noel, were correct when you said that some of the
content in that class may have provoked anger or frustration. This class
would intrigue me occasionally and I would get excited for the next lesson,
only to be let down by something that seemed to deliberately seek to offend
rather than make its own point made clear. I do not want to make it sound
like I learned nothing in this class, because that is not the case. There were
just instances that were angering to me, personally.
The assignment that stands out most to me, as far as angering me, is
the assignment with the Charles Darwin reading about natural selection. I
understand that there are many people who believe what Darwin was
preaching, but I also know how many people are opposed to the idea of
macroevolution. However, this entire article and the assignment that was
given immediately afterwards made it seem like someone is uneducated if
they believe anything other than macroevolution. I just found it unreasonable
that whomever wrote the questions, whether it was you Professor Noel, or
someone else, in a class that preaches how important it is to think critically
and keep an open mind, was so blatant about how one-sided the argument
was. The entire course was deluded as being contradictive to me ever since
that assignment in early February. Even when there were interesting
subjects, I was always disheartened to do my Foundations of Business
homework.
There was one lesson this semester that I enjoyed and that I have used
when critically thinking in other courses already this semester. The
assignment titled, Ancient America, True History by Bernal Diaz of Castile,
was by far the lesson that I took the most away from. It captured my interest
right away with the story of a day in the life of Motecsuma and the Aztecs.
The Aztecs not only survived, but thrived for many years for a few key
reasons, many of which still can have resonance in the modern world. One, is
that the people were the ones running the show. If it wasnt for the people
working and trading and bartering, nothing would have gotten done. The
people were encouraged to trade, trade, trade, which meant for a healthy
economy and healthy people. Because this market was so important, the
Aztecs had it organized better than any flea market in todays age! Another
idea that this reading had, that still has significance today, is that religion
should not play a role in business or government. The Aztecs were just one of
the civilizations that learned of this truth the hard way. When we mix religion
with business and/or government, it influences decisions that may not be for
the common good of the people, or a business. Religion has its place in this
world, and I am by no means saying that anyone involved in these areas
should give up their religion, however when you make decisions, they need
to be done in a manner that will not benefit yourself, but in a way that will
benefit who you represent. The Aztecs caused many problems that were
caused by this mix, like the idea of religious sacrifices of both life and
resources. Literally throwing away these assets hinders a civilization
attempts to be successful.
The final idea taught to me in this class that will have a lasting effect
on my future, is the functionality of the words, critical thought. These words
are blurted out in every public school from the time you are nine or ten years
old, up into college, but when discussed in this class and brought to life by
philosophers such as Plato and Socrates, and even Edward Engh, there is a
much deeper aspect to these famous words. Like stated in the description of
this essay, dark ages are when there are times of ignorance or brutality,
which means there is a lack of this critical thought. On the contrary, when
there is a renaissance, or a rebirth, it is brought on upon an idea created by
this critical thought. It should be noted that this critical thought is
meaningless if not sprung into proper action. However, this literally means
that our society is driven forward by thinking. Thinking, who wouldve
guessed something so simple would be the propellant for the progression of
our society? This class has indeed taught me this truth and that when things
get in the way, I must always remember to take a step back and think
logically about what I am doing or how I am doing it. There will always be
obstacles or ignorance that may cloud my judgement, and this class has
provided me with some tools to combat that ignorance with.