The Ascent of Man (6 of 6) Knowledge or Certainty - Jacob Bronowski

[joyandian]

spellbinding

[ilikeyouallot]

can you play the whole series of the ascent of man, please? I have read most books of Mr. Jacob Bronowski. but i can't find the videos.

Help. this is something every human should watch. and for not forgetting who we are this should be playing evry where around the world in everytown, in everyhome. to one and each single human. Thanks.

[Dannys998877]

@ilikeyouallot The BBC finally made a DVD box set of the series available in the US and Canada. The five discs in the set contain all thirteen episodes of the series. It is available on Amazon. However it is pricey at a list price of $100, available at Amazon only slightly reduced to $89.99.

[TomFynn]

@ilikeyouallot British amazon: £14.27

[Crackdennumber1]

Truely Moving/Stunning finale....The BBC should be showing this year after year.

[drewskione]

Very touching end. 

[Teghead]

Sorry,

**"It WAS done by arrogance" haha.

Infectious mistake..

[Teghead]

You quote incorrectly in the description, might want to correct it.

He says "It was not done by arrogance"

You are fantastic for uploading this!! Can't stress that enough.

[festyosemtex]

A cry out for peace and sanity from Auschwitz... with a quote from Oliver Cromwell?

The man who brutally completed the british colonisation of Ireland? The man who passed the Penal laws against the native majority of the country and confiscated their land? This was not an act of 'certainty'?

The whole post-war Cromwellian settlement of Ireland has been characterised as ethnic cleansing by historians. Tim Pat Coogan described the actions of Cromwell and his subordinates as genocide.

Irony?

[3LARI]

@festyosemtex I see your point. I am Irish too. I think it was just an oversight by Jacob Bronowski, nothing more.

It is ironic that he should quote Oliver Cromwell, of all people, at the moment he condemns the Nazis for what were comparable crimes. However, this should not take away from the central message of this essay; dogmatism leads to despicable ends and the Irish should forgive and forget lest we ourselves be drawn into that evil mindset.

We are all one species, just trying to survive

[DaleHusband]

@festyosemtex

So Oliver Cromwell was a hypocrite. That doesn't mean his words in this case are worthless. The issue is, knowing that Cromwell himself failed, the best way to move forward is to succeed and to live up to what he did not. If the words are good, then that's all that matters. Learn from him, but don't follow his example, for that is itself dogmatism and thus a mistake.

[jamesharrel]

@DaleHusband

"If the words are good, then that's all that matters."

That thought follows the same logic as what Bronowski says in the beginning of this clip about the ends justifying the means.

Bronowski is a good fellow, and a good scientist, and this is indeed an oversight--a terribly huge oversight--that underlines one of his short comings: He is far too simplistic and short in his explanations, and I've seen many people misunderstand him to severe consequences as a result.

[vinha1006]

@jamesharrel - Reply to all. He was quoting a specific idea and not advocating anything other than that idea. If we look closely at anyone or any idea set, we will find things we disagree with and it is not a good thing to throw out the baby with the bath wash.