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The Thinker and The Zealot


The Thinker and The Zealot
Photo Information
Copyright: richard james (Kilted-Arab) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1032 W: 107 N: 2182] (9209)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-12-23
Categories: Architecture
Camera: Canon EOS400D, Canon 24-70 mm f 2,8 L-USM, Hoya 77mm circular-polarizer
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Scotland [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-01-01 5:09
Viewed: 656
Points: 12
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The statue is of David Hume and in the background is St Giles, where John Knox preached his brand of Protestantism.

David Hume's early essay Of Superstition and Religion laid the foundations for nearly all subsequent secular thinking about the history of religion. Critics of religion during Hume's time were required to express themselves cautiously. Less than 15 years before Hume was born, 18-year-old college student Thomas Aikenhead was put on trial for saying openly that he thought Christianity was nonsense; he was later convicted and hanged for blasphemy. Hume followed the common practice of expressing his views obliquely, through characters in dialogues. Hume did not acknowledge authorship of Treatise until the year of his death, in 1776. His essays Of Suicide, and Of the Immortality of the Soul and his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion were held from publication until after his death (published 1778 and 1779, respectively), and they still bore neither author's nor publisher's name. So masterly was Hume in disguising his own views that debate continues to this day over whether Hume was actually a deist or an atheist. Regardless, in his own time Hume's alleged atheism caused him to be passed over for many positions.



John Knox theories about women rulers reveal him as a misogynist and a prude. The reason women were not fit to rule, according to him, was that they were "idolatresses" who set reason aside and ruled by their emotions. This view of female psychology made Knox not only offensive to Mary(Queen of Scots) but dangerous. It fed his political theory, set out in "The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women", that it was legitimate for the people to overthrow and even execute female rulers because of precedents in the Bible, for example the cases of Jezebel and Athalia, in which female rulers were overthrown to the obvious benefit of the state.

Mary moved against Knox by having him arrested and put on trial after he summoned a "convocation of the brethren", in terms that could be interpreted as incitement to violence, to free two Calvinists who had threatened one of the royal priests. He was charged with conspiracy "to raise a tumult" against the queen, but he led his own defence and was acquitted.

taken from Wikipedia


Quite how Hume and Knox would have got along is interesting to speculate!
Bramcote_Mike, GreenBaron, ScottHale, MLINES has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To MLINES: thanks!Kilted-Arab 1 02-24 23:50
To GreenBaron: Thanks!Kilted-Arab 2 01-06 14:58
To ScottHale: Cheers!Kilted-Arab 1 01-04 00:41
To rewshearer: Thanks!Kilted-Arab 1 01-03 07:43
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Critiques [Translate]

Back home for Christmas?
Beautiful composition and excellent light in this shot. Very nicely captured and a good note as well.
Thanks for sharing
Rew

Richard,
The composition here is fascinating. I like how your OV of the Hume statue has given the effect that he is larger than the church which seems the exact opposite of what Humes tried to acheive.
I like the blue sky and the shadows cast on St. Giles and Humes' back.
That gives the image some depth and distinct realism. Well done, glad to see you returned safely from your holiday!
Scott

Hi Richard,
I like this kind of shots a bit dark but with a great blue sky makes this contrast the photo very attractive. Apperantly I missed this statue so I have to go back to Edinburgh (is this situated on the University?)Anyhow excellent posting with an interesting note. TFS.
Hans

...and thanks for your info. I'm now digging in my photos taken in E'burgh if there isn't a shot of it, I have walked in that surrounding and don't know how I could missed it.

Great framing! Very nice shot I like it a lot. Looks like something you'd see in an advertisement to visit a place.

  • Great 
  • scot Silver Star Critiquer [C: 36 W: 9 N: 4] (313)
  • [2007-05-22 5:18]

Hi Richard.
I know this spot very well, nice capture, well done.
John.

Hi Richard, A well cropped composition with a lot of impact. The notes are interesting. The light blue skies are an ideal backdrop to the serious business in the foreground. TFS. Murray.

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