Critical Reflection and Time

Giordano Bruno (1548–1600)

Infinite space and eternal time were Bruno's great visions; as departures from the orthodoxy of his time, these visions ultimately cost him his life. Trained in theology as a monk, Bruno held vast knowledge, which he vigorously added to, likely until the day of his execution for heresy. Between years of nomadic existence and offering public and academic lectures, Bruno reflected on and perceived fallacies in the universal understandings of his day. Staying a step ahead of the authorities who sought his arrest for heretical beliefs, Bruno found reflection inspiring and vehemently defended his philosophical discoveries, even under severe duress. While his collected knowledge, through self-education, armed the philosopher with insight, it was undoubtedly his time in solitary reflection that brought about his comprehension of and belief in a universe of eternal time without end.

Baruch De Spinoza (1632–1677)

Spinoza reasoned that every occurrence, physical or mental, was integral to a larger, sustaining entity that he equated interchangeably with God and Nature. Such a profound perspective, however, was not attained overnight. Spinoza spent [Page 247]much of his adolescence and adulthood investigating new technological advances while simultaneously weighing and considering the philosophical theses of his contemporaries and of earlier philosophers. Ultimately, Spinoza arrived at the aforementioned ideas, as well as a critical geometrical methodology, well in advance of the prevailing thought of his time. Yet, it was not the role of a teacher or wealth through inheritance that provided Spinoza the opportunity to reflect on others' discoveries and discourses. For most of his adult life in the city of Amsterdam, Spinoza pursued the trade of crafting and cleaning glass lenses, a career that provided the philosopher not only with the means to survive, but also the time to reflect on all that he had encountered.

Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and Alfred Rüssel Wallace (1823–1913)

Evolutionary theory, as proposed by Darwin and Wallace, revolutionized science in general and the understanding of biological development throughout time in particular. Darwin certainly received more recognition than Wallace did for the theory of natural selection and held different perspectives on issues, including the placement of Indigenous peoples within the framework of evolution. Yet, both naturalists spent considerable time reflecting on their observations of biological specimens before proposing their ideas about organic evolution. Darwin's legendary voyage on HMS Beagle, particularly its visit to the Galapagos Islands (1835), and Wallace's excursions into South America and Indonesia, provided each with a wide array of species to observe and study over extended periods of time. With both of them guided by the research of contemporary geologists and paleontologists, they separately developed ideas about evolution, taking years to reflect on their experiences before publishing their findings and conclusions. For Darwin and Wallace, time for critically reflecting on the diverse environments and multiple species they encountered provided the impetus for the eventual generation of the idea of natural selection. One has to wonder where our understanding of evolution would be had each quickly published his notes, as opposed to taking time to reflect on them.

...