Humanism+&+Philosophy

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Questions For Expert:

1. During the Italian Renaissance we saw how thinkers and philosophers created theories and inventions that changed the western world. Do we see different theories and inventions made in Calgary? Specifically, are there inventors trying to create new technologies that would affect us?

In response to whether Calgary posses the ability to create new things to make it a Renaissance city, Lawrence Abbott believes that Calgary can be a Renaissance city. Specifically he believes that the inventions during the Renaissance have changed the western world greatly like the telescope. Inventions the the world could be change by could be as small as an iPod app to the new iPad. He stats, "The internet has been around for about 14 years, but it is an invention that has affected our way of life." Inventions could also be things that have been improved on or using something in a different way. There hasn't been huge inventions in Calgary, but there have been small inventions like an iPod app.- Justin S.

2. During the Italian Renaiss ance we saw thinkers and philosophers encouraging people to try new things. Do we see average people in Calgary trying new to invent new things? Specifically, are there people that discover new things and accept failure as a learning process?

In response to whether Calgary posses people that think for themselves and people that ask the questions to make it a Renaissance city, Lawrence Abbott believes that things don't always work. Specially, he believes companies and other kinds of people pay money to try and invent things. Medicine is an example of R&D, research and development an expression. It could take years to make a type of medicine that works. There are lots of research and lots of people doing stuff and trying to invent things to improve our world. He states, “You have to be prepared to fail to succeed.” By this he means that companies universities pay money for people to develop things that not only takes a year, but many years. Little progress is made when you failed so continue trying. You have to be prepared to fail to succeed.-Carmen N.

3. During the Italian Renaissance we saw how people started to think for themselves and leave the ideas of the church. Do we see people thinking for themselves in Calgary? More specifically, do we see people focusing on individual knowledge and human potential?

In response to whether Calgary possesses people thinking for themselves to make it a Renaissance city, Lawrence Abbott believes that there have been more and more people thinking on their own. Specifically, he believes that there are less people thinking as a group, collaborating their ideas with one another. He states, "We have to not only think on our own but to also think as a group." By this he means we need to use our knowledge and others knowledge to work as a group. We need to think about what groups can do and what individuals can do. We can share ideas and build on what one person knows and what a different person knows to combine them together.-Zachary L. and Carmen N.

4. During the Italian Renaissance we people questioning the world around them and not take information that was given to them as a fact, they wanted to discover it for themselves. Do we see people in Calgary today pushing the boundaries of learning and discovering knowledge for themselves? Specifically, are ordinary people inquiring the questions they have about the world?

In response to whether Calgary possesses people questioning the world to make it a Renaissance city, Lawrence Abbott believes that people have been asking questions to find out the answers. Specifically, he believes that people in Calgary aren't taking the information given to them, but looking for another source with the same information to see if it's true. He states, " There have been more opportunities to talk to someone out of the classroom to get a second opinion. We now have access to other media like the Internet and the library. We have to be able to ask good questions to help us understand better." By this, he means that there are more and more chances that Calgarians have to ask experts about their topic to learn something new. He also means that Calgarians are also looking to other types of media such as the Internet or books to see if there is the same information that was given to them.-Zachary L.