My Renaissance

By: Caden Welk

History has a tendency to follow many patterns. One pattern in particular has been far
more impactful than any other, this being the cycle of critical thinking. To put it basically, critical
thinking is the ability to avoid error. There are two basic errors, the first being to believe that
something is true when it is in reality false, and the second to believe something is false when it
is in fact true. By avoiding error, we as humans are able to see reality as it is and make the best
decisions based on factual knowledge.

Critical thinking, although very important, is often times neglected. Like previously
mentioned it follows a cycle. The cycle begins with the utilization of critical thinking, which
leads to progress and intellectual prosperity among the human race. This era of progress is
temporary however, as man slowly begins to fall into error and oppress the use of critical
thinking. This is known as a dark age. Dark ages always lead to regression as a society and the
loss of important knowledge. It is the fate of mankind to stay in these dark ages until the valor
to utilize critical thinking appears once again. This is known as a renaissance, or a rebirth.
Eventually the cycle continues with its ups and downs, but man always finds their way back to
critical thinking.

Just as history has had its dark ages and its renaissances. I too have experienced times of
darkness and error, as well as times of rebirth. My true renaissance commenced when I began
college. One of the greatest characteristics of college is the fact that there is nothing limiting
the material. All of the knowledge I had gained in all of my previous education had been filtered
down to basic principles that were often ruled by biases and regulated substance. This is not
the case in college. For the first time my professors were teaching fact. The was no worry of
saying anything offensive and no sheltering, only the truth.

Of the courses I have taken, some of the most influential in my personal renaissance
have been Chemistry, Biology, and Foundations of Business. Of all of the material I have studied
during the whole of my college experience, these have enabled me to see the world as it is.
Chemistry and Biology helped me to critically think by allowing me to obtain a more profound
understanding of the building blocks of the reality and how they interact within nature and the
universe. The contradiction between what I previously believed and the things which I learned
in these courses forced me to evaluate what I held as truth and what is face. Ultimately, I had
no choice but to change accordingly.

As I progressed in education in the sciences I began to see many parallels between what
I was experiencing and what H.G. Wells spoke of in his writing Material Knowledge. In his
writing wells made a point of illustrating the role that science plays in all aspects of life. He
mentions it in relation to progression of technology, in metallurgy, and in the economics.
Before I would have never thought that there could be any connection between science and
economics; but sure enough the more I thought about it, the more I understood it. Economics
thrives off of the innovations that are the result of the applying scientific advances to make a
profit. For example, I clearly saw the connection between science and the creation of the steam
boat; but I had never realized that because of the science behind the steamboat, transportation
of good was facilitated and profit was made. I was able to finally understand that science leads
to knowledge, and knowledge allows critical thinking. I was experiencing it firsthand.

The critical thought that this course triggered in me has lead me to discover many new
truths. The truth which has been the most striking to me is that of the nature of man. Prior to
studying the course material, I like to believe that people were easily classified as good or bad.
Now I know that human nature is much more complex than that. I had to reassess everything I
had previously believed about the predisposition of man and see it for how it truly is;
convoluted. The lengths to which man will go in an attempt to satisfy greed. What man will do
in order to come out on top. The effect that power can have on a person. Much like the
philosophers of old which we studied, these elements of human nature still linger in my mind
and drive me to consider what has value, and what has the purpose. I still have not found the
answer, but I will continue to search until I find the truth. My personal renaissance is ongoing,
and through it I hope to live a life free of error.