> query them in the context in which they were written.
> I'd love to be able to repeat a query once per decade to see how our zeitgeist evolves, like "how do species change?"
I think the latter is a good point re: our zeitgeist, but the former (context) is unobtainable. I struggle to imagine what that would actually represent. It's certainly not a complete representation of whatever Darwin's context was.
For one, we don't read books all at once. The order in which we read them impacts our interpretation of subsequent reads. We might re-read, we might stop reading, etc. This brings me to my next point.
It's not uncommon amongst collectors of books to not have read every book in their collection. A lot of double negatives there. Folks with lots of books often don't read them all. I have a small library and I have only read half of the books I own, roughly. It's not unusual for me to pickup up a book that challenges my world view, and I might not agree with it. I would not like someone else to consider its presence in my shelf as an endorsement or representation of my own views!!!
I don't know much about Darwin's personal life but I imagine he didn't read all those books. Do they accurately capture the context in which his own words were written? I am doubtful.
All that aside, Darwin spent considerable time abroad and at sea. He recorded much, but you can't record everything. The context of his surroundings is incredibly lossy. Even the words he did put to be paper are contextually filtered through his worldview which, let's be honest, was often focused on the next delicious animal to consume.
Darwin is decidedly a great contributor to our species, but to be honest I have no real interest in talking with him, let alone a questionable facsimile thereof.
See my comment on the parent for a study I did on these questions regarding reading strategies. Of particular relevance, Darwin kept detailed records of the books he read and wished to read in two notebooks [CUL-DAR119, CUL-DAR118], which spanned from his return aboard the Beagle until a few months after The Origin of Species was published.
> I'd love to be able to repeat a query once per decade to see how our zeitgeist evolves, like "how do species change?"
I think the latter is a good point re: our zeitgeist, but the former (context) is unobtainable. I struggle to imagine what that would actually represent. It's certainly not a complete representation of whatever Darwin's context was.
For one, we don't read books all at once. The order in which we read them impacts our interpretation of subsequent reads. We might re-read, we might stop reading, etc. This brings me to my next point.
It's not uncommon amongst collectors of books to not have read every book in their collection. A lot of double negatives there. Folks with lots of books often don't read them all. I have a small library and I have only read half of the books I own, roughly. It's not unusual for me to pickup up a book that challenges my world view, and I might not agree with it. I would not like someone else to consider its presence in my shelf as an endorsement or representation of my own views!!!
I don't know much about Darwin's personal life but I imagine he didn't read all those books. Do they accurately capture the context in which his own words were written? I am doubtful.
All that aside, Darwin spent considerable time abroad and at sea. He recorded much, but you can't record everything. The context of his surroundings is incredibly lossy. Even the words he did put to be paper are contextually filtered through his worldview which, let's be honest, was often focused on the next delicious animal to consume.
Darwin is decidedly a great contributor to our species, but to be honest I have no real interest in talking with him, let alone a questionable facsimile thereof.