The Nations that want arithmetic are altogether barbarous, as some Americans, who can hardly reckon above 20.
Writing it because i feel debts to the dead. this dead.
https://todayinsci.com/A/Arbuthnot_John/ArbuthnotJohn-UseOfMath.htm
Don’t worry about reading the old-timey english. There’s a lot of it. Just vibe through it. And it is a vibe.
In all Ages and Countries, where Learning hath prevailed, the Mathematical Sciences have been looked upon as the most considerable Branch of it. The very Name Μάθησις implies no less…
The etymology is just “lesson”. Also, “lively”/”awake”
He goes on that
The Advantages which accrue to the Mind by Mathematical Studies, consist chiefly in these Things: 1st, In accustoming it to Attention…
and proto indo european wasn’t around when he was, so that’s cool.
–
“Biography is one of the new terrors of death”
his friends often complained that he did not take sufficient credit for his own work.
For this love I bear you John, I’m going to gut your wishes like fishes.
Yeah.
–
I like Arbuthnot. He did all sorts of stuff, but I just like him. He’s earnest, funny, kind, and strong.
He’s behind the first english work on probability, the english uncle sam John Bull, laputa, and more i don’t know.
Here’s him complaining out the causes of most people sucking at math.
Causes: The Aversion of the greatest Part of Mankind to serious Attention, and close Arguing; Their not comprehending sufficiently the Necessity, or great Usefulness, of these in other Parts of Learning; An Opinion that this Study requires a particular Genius and Turn of Head, which few are so happy as to be born with; And the Want of public Encouragement, and able Masters.
Something about “a turn of head”.
His analysis: ~true, but not that useful then.
I know a Discourse of this Nature will be offensive to some, who, while they are ignorant of Mathematics, yet think themselves Masters of all valuable Learning:
Masters of all valuable learning is fun.
And, indeed, Youth is generally so much more delighted with Mathematical Studies, than with the unpleasant Talks, that are sometimes imposed upon them, that I have known some reclaimed by them from Idleness, and Neglect of Learning; and acquire in time a Habit of Thinking, Diligence, and Attention; Qualities, which we ought to study by all means to beget in their desultory and roving Minds.
Lighten up man.
By accustoming ourselves to reason closely about Quantity, we acquire a Habit of doing so in other things. It is surprising to see, what superficial inconsequential Reasonings satisfy the most Part of Mankind. A Piece of Wit, a Jest, a Simile, or a Quotation of an Author, passes for a mighty Argument: With such things as these are the most Part of Authors stuffed; and from these weighty Premises they infer their Conclusions. This Weakness and Effeminacy of Mankind in being persuaded where they are delighted, have made the Sport of Orators, Poets, and Men of Wit.
lmfao
His point about quantity is underrated. Lots of arguments dissolve when you can see the scales. A lot of skill is in picking the right scale. It’s basically xkcd log scales.
But, in the Search of Truth, an imitation of the Method of Geometers will carry a Man farther than all Dialectical Rules.
Sure feels that way hearing a lot of philosophy students talk.
Arbuthnot loves Newton, and it’s interesting to see a contemporary fanboy. To his shame, he was on the anti Leibniz committee, Commercium Epistolicum. Starfucker. Still, he can get a dig in.
The next considerable Object of Natural Knowledge, I take to be Light. How unsuccessful Inquiries are about this glorious Body without the Help of Geometry, may appear from the empty and frivolous Discourses and Disputations of a Sort of Men, that call themselves Philosophers; whom nothing will serve, forsooth, but the Knowledge of the very Nature, and intimate Causes, of every thing: While, on the other hand, the Geometers, not troubling themselves with those fruitless Inquiries about the Nature of Light, have discovered Two remarkable Properties of it, in the Reflexion and Refraction of its Beams: And from those, and their Streightness in other Cases, have invented the noble Arts of Optics, Catoprics, and Doptrics; teaching us to manage this subtile Body for the Improvement of our Knowledge, and useful Purposes of Life. They have likewise demonstrated the Causes if several celestial Appearances, that arise from the Inflexion of its Beams, both in the heavenly Bodies themselves, and other Phaenomena, as Parhelia, the Iris, &c. and by a late Experiment they have [p.12] discovered the Celerity of its Motion. And we shall know yet more surprizing Properties of Light, when Mr. Newton shall be pleased to gratify the World with his Book of Light and Colours.
a Sort of Men, that call themselves Philosophers; whom nothing will serve, forsooth, but the Knowledge of the very Nature, and intimate Causes, of every thing
Stuff like this is why I like him.
It’s saying philosophers are like ppl dropped into a forest to go look for gold. the gold can be anywhere.
a philosopher isn’t just satisfied with the gold but wants to saunter there first try like they’re speedrunning. Nothing else will sooth them. anything besides the perfect path just isn’t good enough. a scientist or mathematician would build a road and maybe have some kids bc it’s gonna be a long job.
fruitless Inquiries about the Nature of Light, have discovered Two remarkable Properties of it
This sentence is very insightful. Even now, further math has shown that asking if 2 things are exactly equal/what “is” something is not really the right question. Layers of “what does it do” (properties) fit better. Cf yoneda perspective (if you don’t know math, maybe save the time for now sry). And studying and writing down properties of objects is a more scalable way of getting to The Truth.
From what I have said, I shall draw but one Corollary, That a Natural Philosopher without Mathematics is a very odd Sort of Person, that reasons about things that have Bulk, Figure, Motion, Number, Weight, &c. without Arithmetic, Geometry, Mechanics, Statics, &c. I must needs say, I have the last Contempt for those Gentlemen, that pretend to explain how the Earth was framed, and yet can hardly measure an Acre of Ground upon the Surface of it
I think you brits use metric now.
If Mathematics had not reduced Music to a regular System, by contriving its Scales, it had been no Art, but enthusiastic Rapture, left to the roving fancy of every Practitioner.
I think the rest of his analysis about music is meh but ‘enthusiastic rapture’ lives in me. Even though the Laputans are inspired by him, I don’t think he’s a total tights:
I must own, that should any one set up to practise in any of the fore-mentioned Arts, furnished only with his Mathematical Rules, he would produce but very clumsy Pieces. He, that should pretend to draw by the Geometerical Rules of Perspective, or compose Music merely by his Skill in harmonical Numbers, would shew but aukward Performances. In those compos’d Subjects, besides the stiff Rules, there must be Fancy, Genius, and Habit.
Fancy, genius, and habit is not a bad basis at all.
I proceed now to shew the more immediate Usefulness of Mathematics in Civil Affairs. To begin with Arithmetic, it were an endless Task to relate its several Uses in public and private Business. The Regulation and quick Dispatch pf both seen intirely owing to it, The Nations, that want it, are altogether barbarous, as some Americans, who can hardly reckon above Twenty.
He’s saying americans can’t count to 20.
Lastly, Numbers are applicable even to such as depend on Chance; the Quantity of Probability and Proportion of it in any Two proposed cases being subject to Calculation as much as anything else. Upon this depend the Principles of Game. We find Sharpers know enough of this, to cheat some Men that would take it very ill to be thought Bubbles: And one Gamester exceeds another, as he had a greater Sagacity and Readiness in calculating his Probability to win or lose in any proposed Case. To understand the Theory of Chance thoroughly, requires a Knowledge of Numbers and a pretty competent one of Algebra.
I think he was too innocent to count cards, but I’m glad he could have.
Wild to me that so much has been discovered since then. All of maxwell’s theory of light for one, and quantum electrodynamics beyond. What a world.