Erudite Relics of Loc Huu Ho

Definitions

• rationalism: platonism; branch of philosophy which emphasizes reason or intellect, rather than observation or sensory perception, as the basis for knowledge and truth.
• secular: of or relating to the doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations

Notes

• The problems that occupied mathematicians for centuries, culminating more than 2,000 years later with the result that there are no solutions-the tasks to obtain exact solutions are impossible.
• Thomas Kuhn’s influential Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1970) speaks of revolutions and ‘paradigm shifts’ that make it difficult to understand scientific works of the past. I.e., to understand previous work we have to unlearn our current science and try to immerse ourselves in the overturned world-view.
• However, there’s an exception of this when mathematics is concerned. A contemporary mathematicians does not have to do much (if any) conceptual retooling in order to read and admire Euclid’s Elements.
• Plato stands at the head of a long tradition in philosophy sometimes called rationalism or ‘Platonism’

RECORDING THE FINDINGS

Record primary research findings by a medium that suits your purpose.
Record secondary research findings as notes.

• Taking Notes (decide what to record and how to record the item; Record the sources of all internet-based material)
• Quoting the Work of Others (avoid plagiarism by correctly citing your sources; it is better to paraphrase your borrowed material to draw your conclusions from other works)
• Paraphrasing the Work of Others (to express the original idea in a clear, simple, direct, or emphatic way without distorting the idea and giving full credit to the source)

• Elements of an effective paraphrase:

reference to the author early in the paraphrase, to indicate the beginning of the borrowed passage

keywords retained from the original, to preserve the meaning

original sentences restructured and combined, for emphasis and fluency

needless words from the original deleted, for conciseness

your own word and phrases that help explain the author’s ideas, for clarity

a citation (in parentheses) of the exact source, to mark the end of the borrowed passage and to give full credit

preservation of the author’s original intent

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