Sheldonian Theatre

Now, the Sheldonian Theatre was designed by none other than Sir Christopher Wren, the brilliant architect who also gave us St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It was built between 1664 and 1669 and named after Gilbert Sheldon, the Archbishop of Canterbury who provided the funding for its construction. It was intended to be a place for academic ceremonies and public lectures, and indeed it has served that purpose for more than 350 years.

But as with all grand buildings, there are always stories to be told, and the Sheldonian is no exception. Let me tell you of one such tale, which involves a famous philosopher and a rather unusual experiment.

It was the year 1650, and the philosopher in question was none other than Thomas Hobbes, whose most famous work, "Leviathan," had just been published. Hobbes was a controversial figure, known for his materialistic views and his unorthodox beliefs about the nature of man and society. He was also something of a showman, and he saw the Sheldonian Theatre as the perfect stage for a bold experiment.

So, Hobbes approached the university authorities with a proposal. He wanted to demonstrate his theory that language was a purely human invention, and that without it, we would be no better than animals. His plan was to bring a group of newborn babies into the Sheldonian, where they would be raised in isolation from all human contact. The idea was that they would eventually develop their own language, one that would be entirely independent of any existing language.

The authorities were skeptical, to say the least, but they were also intrigued. And so, they agreed to Hobbes' proposal, and the experiment began. For months, the babies were cared for by nurses who never spoke a word to them. They were fed and clothed and given everything they needed, but they were never allowed to hear a human voice or see a human face.

And then, one day, Hobbes returned to the Sheldonian, eager to see the results of his experiment. But what he found was not what he had expected. The babies had indeed developed their own language, but it was not the beautiful, complex language he had hoped for. Instead, it was a series of grunts and groans, a primitive language that bore little resemblance to any known human language.

Hobbes was disappointed, but he was also fascinated. He realized that language was not simply a matter of teaching and learning, but was deeply ingrained in the very fabric of human nature. And so, he went on to develop his theories about the nature of man and society, using the Sheldonian Theatre as a forum to present his ideas to the world.

And so, the Sheldonian Theatre continues to be a place of learning and discovery, where great minds like Hobbes have come to share their ideas with the world. It is a testament to the power of architecture, the brilliance of human thought, and the enduring legacy of one of England's greatest architects, Sir Christopher Wren.