This Day in History: January 1st

Here are 100 historical events that took place on January 1st:

  1. 1 C.E.: The Roman Empire established a tax of 1/100 on goods sold in auction.
  2. 10 C.E.: The Roman poet Ovid was born.
  3. 45 C.E.: The Roman Republic officially began using the Julian calendar.
  4. 404 C.E.: Telemachus tried to stop a gladiatorial fight in a Roman amphitheater, leading to his stoning and the eventual end of gladiator contests.
  5. 1502: The present-day location of Rio de Janeiro was first explored by the Portuguese.
  6. 1583: The Netherlands adopted the Gregorian calendar.
  7. 1622: Papal Chancery adopted January 1st as the beginning of the year.
  8. 1622: The Papal Chancery adopted January 1st as the beginning of the year, replacing March 25th.
  9. 1651: Charles II was crowned king of Scotland.
  10. 1673: Regular mail delivery began between New York and Boston.
  11. 1700: Russia replaced the Zemsky Sobor with the Table of Ranks.
  12. 1724: Tumult of Thorn: Religious unrest led to the execution of nine Protestant citizens and the mayor of Thorn (Toruń) by Polish authorities.
  13. 1735: Paul Revere, American patriot and silversmith, was born.
  14. 1745: Anthony Wayne, American general and statesman, was born.
  15. 1752: The British Empire and its American colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, skipping 11 days.
  16. 1757: France and Austria signed a treaty of alliance against Great Britain.
  17. 1781: Fourth Anglo-Dutch War: Great Britain declared war on the Dutch Republic.
  18. 1788: First edition of “The Times,” London’s newspaper, was published.
  19. 1795: The Treaty of Basel was signed between France and Prussia, ending the War of the First Coalition.
  20. 1797: Albany became the capital of New York state.
  21. 1799: Income tax was introduced in the United Kingdom.
  22. 1800: The Dutch East India Company was dissolved.
  23. 1801: The legislative union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland was completed to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
  24. 1801: The Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to become the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
  25. 1804: Haiti gained its independence from France.
  26. 1806: The French Republican Calendar was abolished.
  27. 1817: The first coffee is planted in Hawaii.
  28. 1822: The Greek Constitution of 1822 was adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.
  29. 1832: John C. Calhoun became the first Vice President of the United States to resign, stepping down over political differences with President Andrew Jackson.
  30. 1833: Robert Lawson, New Zealand architect and designer, was born.
  31. 1845: Texas was admitted as the 28th U.S. state.
  32. 1846: Iowa was admitted as the 29th U.S. state.
  33. 1847: The world’s first “modern” indoor public swimming pool opened in London.
  34. 1848: Arthur St. Clair, American general and politician, died.
  35. 1851: The American chess magazine “Chess Monthly” began publication.
  36. 1863: The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War, came into effect.
  37. 1864: Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer and curator, was born.
  38. 1873: Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar.
  39. 1874: Gustave Whitehead, German-American aviation pioneer, was born.
  40. 1879: E. M. Forster, English author, was born.
  41. 1880: Ferdinand de Lesseps began French construction of the Panama Canal.
  42. 1881: The world’s first electric tramway started in Lichterfelder, near Berlin, Germany.
  43. 1888: The Convention of Constantinople was signed, guaranteeing free maritime passage through the Suez Canal during war and peace.
  44. 1892: Ellis Island in New York Harbor opened as a U.S. immigration depot.
  45. 1895: J. Edgar Hoover, first Director of the FBI, was born.
  46. 1898: New York City annexed the Bronx.
  47. 1900: Xavier Cugat, Spanish-American bandleader, was born.
  48. 1901: The Commonwealth of Australia was established.
  49. 1909: Barry Goldwater, American general and politician, was born.
  50. 1911: Mongolia gained independence from the Qing Dynasty after the Outer Mongolian Revolution.
  51. 1912: The Republic of China was established.
  52. 1912: Kim Philby, British intelligence officer and Soviet double agent, was born.
  53. 1916: The Banat Republic was founded in the city of Timișoara, present-day Romania.
  54. 1921: Cesar Borgia, Spanish-Italian cardinal, died.
  55. 1928: Dan Rostenkowski, American politician, was born.
  56. 1928: The Soviet Union began the First Five-Year Plan.
  57. 1930: Gaafar Nimeiry, Sudanese field marshal and politician, was born.
  58. 1933: Joe Orton, English playwright and author, was born.
  59. 1934: Alcatraz Island became a U.S. federal prison.
  60. 1937: Sir Anthony Hopkins, Welsh actor, was born.
  61. 1937: The first Cotton Bowl football game was played in Dallas, Texas.
  62. 1938: Dr. R. N. Harger’s “drunkometer,” the first breath test for alcohol consumption, was introduced in Indianapolis.
  63. 1939: Sydney, Australia, experienced its highest recorded rainfall in a single day (11.4 inches).
  64. 1940: Frank Bridge, English composer, died.
  65. 1942: Country Joe McDonald, American musician, was born.
  66. 1942: Richard Nixon married Pat Ryan.
  67. 1943: Don Novello, American comedian and actor (Father Guido Sarducci), was born.
  68. 1943: Hank Williams, American singer-songwriter, died.
  69. 1945: Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz ordered the German U-boat fleet to cease operations.
  70. 1947: The American and British occupation zones in Germany merged to form Bizonia.
  71. 1958: The European Economic Community (EEC) officially came into existence.
  72. 1958: Sputnik 1 re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.
  73. 1960: Cameroon gained its independence from French-administered UN trusteeship.
  74. 1962: The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records.
  75. 1967: Canada celebrated its 100th anniversary of Confederation.
  76. 1969: BBC One broadcast its first color television program.
  77. 1971: Cigarette advertising was banned on U.S. television.
  78. 1973: The United States officially recognized the government of José Félix Estigarribia in Paraguay, which had taken power through a coup.
  79. 1974: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began operations.
  80. 1979: Formal relations were established between China and the United States.
  81. 1983: The Internet’s Domain Name System (DNS) was introduced.
  82. 1984: AT&T was broken up into 22 independent units.
  83. 1985: VH-1 made its broadcasting debut.
  84. 1989: Riots broke out in Czechoslovakia, leading to the downfall of the communist government.
  85. 1993: Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
  86. 1994: The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect.
  87. 1995: The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established.
  88. 1999: The Euro currency was introduced in 11 European countries.
  89. 2000: U.S. retail giant Montgomery Ward announced it was going out of business after 128 years.
  90. 2002: Euro banknotes and coins became legal tender in twelve of the European Union’s member states.
  91. 2003: The last known speaker of Akkala Sami, a critically endangered Finno-Ugric language, passed away in Russia.
  92. 2004: An Enlargement of the European Union welcomed 10 new member states.
  93. 2006: Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging.
  94. 2007: Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union.
  95. 2009: Slovakia adopted the Euro as its official currency.
  96. 2010: The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, officially opened in Dubai.
  97. 2011: Estonia adopted the Euro.
  98. 2014: Latvia adopted the Euro.
  99. 2015: A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck northeastern India, causing widespread damage and resulting in the deaths of at least 11 people.
  100. 2022: The International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development officially began.

Wisdom Jokes

My dad always said “Don’t believe everything you hear”

It was great advice…

Or was it?

I’ve decided to put all my eggs in one basket so I don’t look daft walking around the supermarket.

Plan ahead – It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark

When in doubt, mumble.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!

Except that one where you’re naked in church.

Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak

Lif is too short.

Don’t be a sexist, birds hate that.

Dwarfs and midgets have very little in common.

My motto is “Never say never.” Which makes it very difficult to tell people my motto.

We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.

Who needs rhetorical questions?

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones….or sex parties.

An optimist is a person who doesn’t understand the enormity of the problem.

Taller people sleep longer in bed.

Those who get up at sunrise have many ideas dawn on them.

Never moon a werewolf.

Children in the back seat cause accidents.

And accidents in the back seat cause children.

Some days you’re the dog, some days you’re the lamp-post.

Red sky at night. Shepherd’s delight.

Blue sky at night. Day.

No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationary.

Experience is a wonderful thing.

It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

Avoid cliches like the plague. (They’re old hat).

And that’s not all ….

Thank you for reading my writings. If you’d like to, you can buy me a coffee for just £1 and I will think of you while writing my next post! Just hit the link below…. (thanks in advance)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/assuredeffC

Thought of the Day: Ducking in the rain

Why is it that people duck in the rain, do they really think the rain won’t hit them?

When people continue walking in the rain while ducking or adopting a stooped position, it’s often a natural and practical response to minimize exposure to the rain. While they may not be completely avoiding getting wet, this posture can help reduce the impact of raindrops on their face and upper body. Here are a few reasons why people might choose to walk in a stooped position in the rain:

  1. Maintain Forward Visibility: By lowering their head and torso, individuals can maintain better visibility ahead of them. This is especially important when walking in crowded areas or on uneven terrain.
  2. Reduce Discomfort: Walking with a stooped posture can help minimize the discomfort of raindrops hitting the face, which can be distracting or unpleasant.
  3. Protect Personal Items: Even if individuals are willing to get somewhat wet, they may still adopt a stooped position to shield personal items such as books, bags, or electronic devices from direct exposure to rain.
  4. Efficiency: Some people may continue walking without seeking complete shelter to reach their destination more quickly. They may adopt a stooped position as a compromise between moving forward and minimizing exposure to rain.
  5. Habit or Instinct: It’s also possible that this behavior is a habitual or instinctive response to rain. People may not consciously think about it but may automatically adopt a posture that feels more comfortable in wet conditions.

Walking in a stooped position in the rain is a practical compromise between the desire to continue the journey and the wish to minimize the discomfort associated with getting wet. It allows individuals to navigate through the rain while making adjustments to reduce the impact of raindrops on their bodies and personal belongings.

Thank you for reading my writings. If you’d like to, you can buy me a coffee for just £1 and I will think of you while writing my next post! Just hit the link below…. (thanks in advance)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/assuredeffC

This Day in History: December 29th


Good morning! Here are ten interesting historical events that took place on December 29th:

  1. 1170: Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was assassinated in Canterbury Cathedral, England.
  2. 1845: Texas was admitted as the 28th U.S. state.
  3. 1911: Mongolia gained independence from the Qing Dynasty after the Outer Mongolian Revolution.
  4. 1934: Japan renounced the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930.
  5. 1940: During World War II, Germany began the bombing of London with incendiary bombs in what became known as the Second Great Fire of London.
  6. 1972: Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, crashed in the Florida Everglades, resulting in 101 fatalities.
  7. 1989: Riots broke out in Czechoslovakia, leading to the downfall of the communist government.
  8. 2003: The last known speaker of Akkala Sami, a critically endangered Finno-Ugric language, passed away in Russia.
  9. 2006: Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging.
  10. 2015: A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck northeastern India, causing widespread damage and resulting in the deaths of at least 11 people.

Thank you for reading my writings. If you’d like to, you can buy me a coffee for just £1 and I will think of you while writing my next post! Just hit the link below…. (thanks in advance)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/assuredeffC

Thought of the Day: Kidnapping

Whenever an adult is kidnapped, why isn’t it called adultnapped?

The term “kidnapped” is derived from the word “kid,” which historically referred to a child or young person. The use of “kid” in this context can be traced back to the 17th century. Over time, the term “kidnap” evolved to describe the act of taking someone, usually a child, by force or threat.

As a result, the term “kidnapped” has become a widely accepted and commonly used word to describe the abduction of individuals of any age, not just children. Even when adults are taken against their will, the term “kidnapped” is still applied, and there hasn’t been a widely adopted alternative term like “adultnapped.”

Language often carries historical and cultural nuances, and changes in terminology can take time to gain acceptance. The use of “kidnapped” for adults reflects the historical origin of the term and the fact that it has become a standard expression for abductions of any age group.

Thank you for reading my writings. If you’d like to, you can buy me a coffee for just £1 and I will think of you while writing my next post! Just hit the link below…. (thanks in advance)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/assuredeffC

This Day in History: December 28th

Here are ten interesting historical events that took place on December 28th:

  1. 1065: Westminster Abbey in London was consecrated, a significant event in English history.
  2. 1832: John C. Calhoun became the first Vice President of the United States to resign, stepping down over political differences with President Andrew Jackson.
  3. 1846: Iowa was admitted as the 29th U.S. state.
  4. 1895: The Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumière, held the first public screening of films in Paris, marking the birth of cinema.
  5. 1908: An earthquake in Messina, Italy, and the resulting tsunami killed over 70,000 people.
  6. 1945: The United States officially recognized the government of José Félix Estigarribia in Paraguay, which had taken power through a coup.
  7. 1973: The Endangered Species Act was signed into law by U.S. President Richard Nixon, aiming to protect species at risk of extinction.
  8. 1981: Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the first American “test-tube baby,” was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
  9. 2000: U.S. retail giant Montgomery Ward announced it was going out of business after 128 years.
  10. 2014: Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501 crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 162 people on board.

Thank you for reading my writings. If you’d like to, you can buy me a coffee for just £1 and I will think of you while writing my next post! Just hit the link below…. (thanks in advance)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/assuredeffC

A measure for pleasure?

Can pleasure be measured in terms of quantity as well as quality? What’s more pleasurable to a ten-year-old – a kitten, a teddy bear, or a bar of chocolate? Can we turn a subjective concept like pleasure into an objective measure or comparison? A man called “Jeremy” thought so.

Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) was an English philosopher, jurist, and social reformer, best known for his contributions to utilitarianism. Born in London, Bentham was a leading figure in the fields of ethics and political philosophy during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Bentham’s most influential idea was utilitarianism, a moral and ethical theory that asserts that the best action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or pleasure. According to Bentham, individuals should strive to act in a way that brings about the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. To measure happiness and pleasure, Bentham developed the principle of “hedonistic calculus,” which aimed to quantify and compare the intensity, duration, certainty, and other factors of pleasure and pain.

In addition to his work on ethics, Bentham made significant contributions to legal philosophy. He advocated for legal and social reforms based on utilitarian principles. Bentham believed that laws and institutions should be designed to maximize happiness and minimize suffering in society.

Bentham’s ideas had a profound impact on the development of ethical and legal thought, and his legacy continues to influence discussions on utilitarianism, ethics, and social policy to this day.

Bentham developed a system known as the “Felicific Calculus” to objectively measure pleasure and pain. He proposed that the value or utility of any action, policy, or decision could be quantified and compared based on the amount of pleasure and pain it produced. The Felicific Calculus consisted of several criteria that Bentham believed could be used to evaluate and compare different actions or choices. These criteria included:

  1. Intensity: The strength or intensity of the pleasure or pain experienced as a result of an action. Bentham believed that stronger pleasures or pains should be given greater weight.
  2. Duration: The length of time that the pleasure or pain lasts. Longer-lasting pleasure or pain was considered more valuable.
  3. Certainty or uncertainty: The likelihood that the pleasure or pain will occur. Certain pleasures or pains were considered more valuable than uncertain ones.
  4. Propinquity or remoteness: The nearness or farness in time of the pleasure or pain. Pleasures or pains that are more immediate were given greater weight.
  5. Fecundity: The likelihood that a pleasure will lead to more pleasures in the future or that a pain will lead to more pains. Actions that produced pleasures with higher fecundity were considered more valuable.
  6. Purity: The extent to which an action produces only one type of pleasure or pain rather than a mixture of both. Actions that resulted in “pure” pleasures were considered more valuable.
  7. Extent: The number of people or beings who experience the pleasure or pain as a result of the action. Actions that produced pleasure or prevented pain for a greater number of individuals were considered more valuable.

By using these criteria, Bentham aimed to provide a systematic and objective way to assess and compare the overall utility or goodness of different actions or policies. This utilitarian approach to ethics sought to maximize overall pleasure and minimize pain often referred to as the “greatest happiness principle.” However, it’s important to note that the Felicific Calculus has been subject to criticism and challenges, and not all philosophers or ethicists accept it as a comprehensive or infallible method for measuring pleasure and pain.

However, measuring pleasure in an objective and quantitative manner is challenging because pleasure is a subjective experience. Different individuals may have different preferences, and what brings pleasure to one person may not necessarily do the same for another. Additionally, the quality of pleasure can be influenced by personal, cultural, and contextual factors.

In the case of a ten-year-old and the choices of a kitten, a teddy bear, or a bar of chocolate, the preference for one over the others would likely vary among individuals. Some children might find joy in the companionship of a kitten, comfort in a teddy bear, or delight in a bar of chocolate. The choice depends on the child’s individual preferences and experiences.

While Bentham’s hedonistic calculus provides a framework for attempting to measure pleasure and pain objectively, it has limitations, especially when it comes to the inherently subjective nature of individual experiences. The complexity of human emotions and the diverse factors influencing pleasure make it challenging to create a universally applicable and objective measure of pleasure. Consequently, the subjective nature of pleasure remains a significant aspect of ethical and philosophical discussions.

Thank you for reading my writings. If you’d like to, you can buy me a coffee for just £1 and I will think of you while writing my next post! Just hit the link below…. (thanks in advance)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/assuredeffC

Small Ads Jokes

Thank you for reading my writings. If you’d like to, you can buy me a coffee for just £1 and I will think of you while writing my next post! Just hit the link below…. (thanks in advance)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/assuredeffC

The history of the print revolution.

What was the impact on the production of both written texts and music?

In considering the effect of the print revolution on the production of texts and music it is important to define what is meant by the term “print revolution”. In simple terms, this refers to a time period starting from around 1440 when Johannes Gutenberg invented the modern printing press and continued in technological development and geographical spread, and vastly increasing printed texts and music over the subsequent two to three centuries. The key part of Gutenberg’s new technology was the use of moveable type, together with the improvement and bringing together in one process of existing technologies such as large presses, printing on paper, and refined oil-based inks.

Although the technology had become available for mass production, printing was an expensive and labor-intensive process, requiring new tradesmen such as typesetters, pressmen, compositors, and proofreaders, as well as “factory” space. All this meant that a would-be printer needed capital upfront. So printing as an industry required (or contributed to) the growth of capitalism and gave rise to new jobs and businesses not only in the production of texts and music but also to bookbinders, publishers, book-sellers, ink and paper producers, etc. Indeed the advancement of associated technologies should not be under-estimated. In Europe in the thirteenth century paper manufactured from rags was first used as a writing material. Prior to this scribes would use expensive parchment or vellum (animal skin) as a substrate.

However, the advent of mass printing didn’t end manuscript production, which was suited to luxury items (e.g. as diplomatic gifts) and for circulation of texts (e.g. poetry) among a small coterie. Shakespeare’s early sonnets, for instance, were originally circulated in manuscript copies.

The vast up-scaling of volume in the production of texts was considerable and in the 1540s in Geneva, a skilled craftsman could produce 1,300 copies of a single sheet in one day. By contrast, the upscaling of production and proliferation of music was much slower. In Venice in 1498 a printer called Ottaviano Petrucci ‘ made claim to the invention of a unique music type and patented the printing method. However, the method was laborious and time-consuming, requiring three separate print runs for a single sheet of music – these being the printing of the staves, the musical notes, and finally text. That said, Younger and Barker’s research found that in 1549 there were ten music publishers in seven cities producing 43 collections of music equating to around 1500 individual pieces of music. This showed that there was both supply and demand during this period. could be demonstrated.

When looking at different examples of the kinds of texts and music produced in this period, there is one stand-out text that exemplifies the “revolutionary” label given to print production of this period, and that is the Bible. It is not only an important example of mass print (Luther’s translation of the Bible into German was a huge bestseller with over 100,000 copies sold) but was also a hugely significant move for ancient and religious (or sacred) texts to be printed in the vernacular. Thus the word of God could become available to the masses, not only in means of availability, but also in a language that could be understood without translation. So mass printed text could be argued as a catalyst or vehicle for the Protestant Reformation. Polyglot Bibles (texts written in several languages side by side) were produced extensively and this enabled the reader to study the gospels in Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and the vernacular tongue. These Bibles were expensive to produce and would have been the property of the church. Educational texts such as “ABC”s and catechism were much cheaper to produce and had a mass market and hence could help a printer and publisher finance larger projects. Steinberg found that ‘in 1585, 10,000 copies of an English ABC and Little Catechism were sold in eight months’. Medical textbooks helped promote the study of the sciences and can be seen to run alongside the growth of humanism

More humble texts, often a single side of paper, were produced in great numbers such as almanacs (containing calendars, or information for farmers) and broadside ballads. This type of product was cheap to produce as it did not require the other processes used to make books such as sorting, ordering, cutting, collating, or binding. Broadside ballads appealed to the masses as they could contain songs that were political, satirical, bawdy, or risqué. Broadside ballads are a cross-over point to the production of printed music as some contained simple musical scores. Indeed, many choral religious songs were printed on single sheets which allowed hymns to be sung en masse and in the vernacular. A collection of such songs were put together to produce the Lutheran hymn book in 1542. Also in the sixteenth century, many partbooks were produced, containing the music or choral part for each individual performer thus reducing the cost of the overall collective choral book.

The impact of increased production of printed texts marked a shift from image culture to word culture, especially as print was increasingly produced in the vernacular. This affected all tiers of society as news, gossip, and political or religious propaganda could be distributed quickly, efficiently, and cheaply, and in the case of religion, this was at the very least the catalyst for religious reform. Knowledge could be preserved and disseminated by mass copying, which also leads to uniformity, although it should be remembered that inaccuracies could be “standardised” also. With the production of musical texts, there was a shift from an oral to written tradition, and it was no longer the preserve of the rich as choristers and even the congregation had access. Moreover, musical knowledge could be spread by print. But aside from the well-documented scholarly, religious, and political impacts – the increased production also brought about fun and merriment via the popular broadside ballads.

Both with music and text a new industry grew, that of the pressmen, compositors, proofreaders, and bookbinders. Printing became a business, and it certainly can be linked to the rise of capitalism. Large capital was needed at the outset and to estimate the numbers of print runs could mean big profits or winding up the business – if you print too few you have lost opportunity, if you print too many you may go bust. This is exemplified by William Caxton producing a 2nd edition of “The Canterbury Tales” (this containing illustrations) in 1483 as the first edition had become a best seller.

Thank you for reading my writings. If you’d like to, you can buy me a coffee for just £1 and I will think of you while writing my next post! Just hit the link below…. (thanks in advance)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/assuredeffC

Is religion always synonymous with belief in the supernatural?

Did Comte’s religion of “Positivism” break this link?

Before discussing the thoughts of Auguste Comte (1798–1857), it is useful to define the terms “religion” and “supernatural” and then consider the philosopher’s approach within these boundaries. The Oxford English Dictionary defines religion as ‘Action or conduct indicating belief in, obedience to, and reverence for a god, gods, or similar superhuman power; the performance of religious rites or observances’ and defines supernatural in terms of divinity, metaphysics and the extraordinary. However, it could be argued that belief or faith can be exclusive of a deity, in short – a worship or following of some being (human or otherwise) greater than the individual.

Supernatural identity aside, with religions there is the commonality of features; there is dogma through following a set of rituals, ceremonies, and acting out beliefs, together with some form of community or gathering. And there is often a commonality of purpose, that is to say, high moral or ethical principles are generally pursued. When examining religion and its origins, the philosophy may vary from the etymology (Latin: obligation, bond, reverence) and the term can be thought of as a Western or European concept, particularly with the three main monotheistic strands relating to the god of the old testament, and the historic writings associated with it.

French philosopher Isidore Marie Auguste François Xavier Comte (1798 – 1857), better known as Auguste Comte, was the father of Positivism and inventor of the term sociology. Comte believed religion played an important role in the individual’s and society’s well-being through establishing a common, positive set of principles and practices around the belief that pursuit of altruism and helping others precipitated a collective improvement of morals and ethics.

Comte moved away from the traditional Western deistic view, instead putting the celebration of humanity at his new religion’s core. Comte’s religion of Positivism took a humanist approach with a celebration of, and a belief in, man’s scientific and rational endeavours and achievements. Comte defined “positivism” in terms of demarcating scientific knowledge through the gaining of scientific empirical evidence, Due to his belief that working with science, reason and rationality were male traits, he also wanted to celebrate and promote his view of female virtues – which he saw as being caring, loving, nurturing and empathetic, and as such his symbolic representation of a human “deity” was a mother nurturing her son,

However, Comte did recognise the role of the supernatural and metaphysical in human development and he outlined this in his “law of three stages” where the metaphysical stage is the link between the theological and the positive. Comte’s religion was intended to be invasive in many aspects of society, with a new 13 month calendar with notable worship events centring on historical and contemporary figures from the arts, sciences, philosophy and prophets, coupled with a new cannon of literature supporting these fields (although he recognised this had it’s limitations as it was centred too heavily on western civilisation).

From a contemporary perspective, Comte’s vision and timing for his religion was to find a path forward and away from the French Revolution by revering the achievements of all that is great in humanity, with a spirit of altruism at its core. Comte’s religion replaced the reverence to supernatural iconography (such as angels) and prayers directed to a formless god, with representations of great human figures to whom they can relate, and to humanity he referred to as the “Great Being” to which they can be a part of, and contribute to. An intention of his religion was to reflect the backdrop of Europe’s move towards a scientific, industrial and technological new age, and in political terms, he favoured a sociocracy, which can really be thought of as a meritocracy, as he favoured the sovereignty to be in the hands of scientists, industrialists and enlightened thinkers.

Kees de Groot has introduced the concept of “liquid religion”, simply put, fluid and dynamic forms of religion which embrace secular non-classical and non-institutional theistic beliefs. This marks a shift from the traditional dogmatic doctrinal church to anything from the purely philosophical, social or fantasy belief sets – which could even be “pop-up” in nature. Since Comte’s time many religions have sprung up which are not deity-based and the closest “religion” to that of Positivism is the secular movement of humanism.

In summary, in today’s multicultural society, many religions live harmoniously alongside each other. Comte proposed a new religion that was not supernatural deity based, instead promoting a belief in, and celebration of, the “Great Being” of humanity.

Thank you for reading my writings. If you’d like to, you can buy me a coffee for just £1 and I will think of you while writing my next post! Just hit the link below…. (thanks in advance)

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/assuredeffC