Test renaissance - Philosophy

Renissance:

1.      Bruni

2.      Da vinci

3.      Scholars of Athens

4.      Raphael

5.      Florence

6.      Flying Buttress

Renissance Paragraphs:

2. Da Vinci’s Vetruvian man is significant for many reasons. It shows an accurate portrayal of man in the nude. This was important at the time because for a thousand years prior realism like this was unknown. This realism merges with the addition of geometry and science into art, as displayed by the circle and square.

5. The Pazzi chapel is a key building in understanding the transition between gothic and renaissance architecture. Built in Florence it embodies the ideas of humanism as it small size puts man in the spotlight once again. The interior also carries these ideas, by displaying works of art with man as the spotlight.

6. Flying buttresses are the most significant architectural advancement in the middle ages. They allowed the building of higher and wider cathedrals because their equal weight distribution. These larger buildings made it possible for the church to impose power upon the people as there scale makes us feel insignificant. Flying buttresses are also important because they make school children laugh when their teacher says butt.

Middile ages

1.      Where they traced people

2.      Where the light shined through onto the people

3.      Where the speaker would stand

4.      Where they keep the dead bodies

5.      One of the two pilars closer to the building

6.      French King

7.      The bubonic plague was a plague that wiped out 1/3 to ½ of Europe’s population

Philosophy.

1.      Descartes

2.      Plato

3.      Locke

4.      Kant

5.      Utilitarianism

6.      Freud

Philosophy questions

2. Dualism is the philosophic idea that the mind and body are separate parts. Often attributed to Plato, who proposed that the mind (or soul in this case) continues on after life. This idea was later gathered by the church that then imposed the concepts of heaven and hell.

4. Empiricism and Rationalism are polar opposite’s philosophic ideas in epistemology. Empiricism is the belief that learning through experience is the only or significantly better way of acquiring knowledge. Rationalism contrasts this with the belief that learning through reason is the only or significantly better way to acquire knowledge.

5. The concept of the blank slate was proposed by John Locke. He said that human beings are born as blank slates, without any predetermined attributes, which we would commonly describe as “human nature”. Instead he believed that all of our experiences in our lives shaped who we are and what we become.

Essay topic: 1.

The Sistine chapel is the perfect representation of the renaissance. The building was constructed between 1473 and 1481 by Giovanni dei Dolci. It is fairly large, which was an attempt by the church to fight the humanist movement. However its interior embodies humanism, and its paintings and there history is a pure manifestation of the renaissance.

In 1505 Pope Julius II told Michelangelo, a fairly well established sculptor, to paint the ceilings of the Sistine chapel. Being a painter Michelangelo was reluctant to take on the project, however continual pressure (and significant money) from the church made him cave and agree to the project three years later. It took another three years until the project was finished, primarily due to Michelangelo’s perfectionist nature. When it was completed, the final result was a masterpiece.

The ceiling shows us the stories from the book of Genesis about the creation of Man and all they knew. Michelangelo portrayed these events in a new humanist light showing us how he imagined god creating man in his own image and in the nude. Shown by the most famous piece in the chapel, the event of God giving life to Adam it put Man directly next to god. For the first time since the Romans humans where significant again. Michelangelo painted god with a face that wasn’t cruel or wrathful but carries the look of a twisted compassion, like a father on his daughter’s wedding night. These paintings showed the illiterate masses not to fear god but relish in his glorious light.

Michelangelo spent rest of his life doing what he loved, sculpting. It wasn’t until 1535 when the Pope approached him once again with a proposition to paint the back wall. Michelangelo was sixty years old at the time and in the decline of his life. It wasn’t just Michelangelo’s life that was in decline though. The second coming of Christ and the eternal judgment of god upon humanity is the polar opposite of ideals which were portrayed by the ceiling. Humanism was dead, and Michelangelo followed suit 28 years later.

Siddhartha Essay: Renoucement

In Hermann Hesse’s novel, a young man named Siddhartha leaves his comfortable life of Brahmanism to achieve enlightenment with his best friend Govinda. Renouncement is a common theme in this novel and is prominent in almost every major event that occurs. It is the primary force that Siddhartha uses to guide his life, and while his chronic renouncement is harmful to Siddhartha in the short term, it leads him to ultimately achieve enlightenment.

Siddhartha uses renouncement to both achieve and abolish emotions, and for a menagerie of reasons. When he is still with Brahmins his ego is what drives him to leave. He could have been satisfied with his life of Brahmanism, because superior to them. Siddhartha initially uses renouncement as a way to put himself above people, as a trick to persuade himself that he is better than his father. When he leaves with the Sammanas he completely abolishes all material and desire driven things. His only desire is to live, abolish, and eventually achieve enlightenment. However Siddhartha’s ego gets to him again and he finds himself even more dissatisfied with himself with the Sammanas than the Brahmins. He realizes that he simply cannot accomplish enlightenment while focusing so much on repressing everything. There is still a hind of arrogance in Siddhartha though, and I believe that he could have achieved enlightenment with Sammanas, if he renounced it instead. He leaves the Sammanas with Govinda to meet the Buddha. Siddhartha is content at first, but later on he realizes that this is another path that is not for him, and that there is no specific religion or spirituality that can lead him to enlightenment. He leaves Govinda and the Buddha behind to return to the material world and to seek his own way to enlightenment. For the first time in Siddhartha’s life he is without teachers. He feels a new sense of freedom empowers him, and for the first time in his life renouncement acts as a truly positive force.

Siddhartha sees the world through the eyes of the new.

“He looked around as if seeing the world for the first time. Beautiful was the world, colorful was the world, bizarre and enigmatic was the world!”

He relishes the realm of the shadows instead of killing himself to see the light. He meets a ferryman, who too is content with his life. Siddhartha then meets Kamala, an incredibly beautiful woman who he has a desire to become lovers with. Kamala tells Siddhartha that to be with her, he must take on a new path of wealth. Enchanted by her secrets he gives in to his desire and pursues a path in business. With his partner Kamaswami, Siddhartha quickly rises in the business world, renouncing his previous life of renouncement. The initial desire of Kamala seemingly becomes less significant to Siddhartha when he achieves his goal, so he pursues more and more worldly treasures. As the years go by he gets sucked in more and more by the material world, a vicious cycle which leaves him less satisfied everyday, until finally nothing has value to him. With a weak heart he leaves everything without telling Kamala or Kamaswami. He again renounces his lifestyle, which takes him back to the river.

While at the river he meets Vasudeva, the same ferryman who he met years before.  Vasudeva tells him to simply listen to the river.  Siddhartha obliges and as he contemplates life he hears the universal sound of  “Om”. This sound is what makes him finally achieves inner peace. As his fame spreads across the land as a wiseman he is visited by a ghost of his past. Accompanied by a boy, Kamala goes to the river. Bitten by a snake she is extremely weak, but with her dying breathe she revels to Siddhartha that he has a son. Siddhartha’s son is the polar opposite of himself, a spoiled and hateful boy who wants nothing else but to return to the city. As the months pass his dissatisfaction eventually leads the boy to run away. Although Siddhartha attempts to chase him down, he stops realizing that it is impossible. For the last time in his last he renounces something. Siddhartha returns to the river and again listens. In his contemplation he achieves an epiphany, both negative and positive, has led him to this point. His renouncement, key to realizing the eternal truth that is out there, finally he has achieved enlightenment.

Rome Test part D. Essay 2.

Throughout Roman history it seems the only thing keeping great individuals from achieving there potential was the senate. While the rest of the Rome was celebrating the individual the Senate was bringing it down. Julius Caesar is the ultimate example for this. A truly great person who the Senate felt was becoming to powerful according to the senate. The idea of a new Roman Emperor terrified the senate, so they abolished the concept of so-called “democracy” and murdered Julius Caesar. That night outrage light the streets of Rome. The senate frantically tried to restore order, however the moment the first knife was plunged into Caesars back the Roman Republic started to die.

Rome was born upon a bed of glory. From its conception of Romulus defeating Remus, Rome’s fate largely depended on the individual striving above the rest. The Rape of the Sabine displays this with the most eloquence.  When the young roman men rose above the old and fragile Sabine to rape their women the Romans didn’t view it as a terrible act of lust and disgust. Their brutish violence was essential; anybody with potential should rise above the weak to take their place as a hero.

The people needed heroes in Rome. Similarly to our celebrity culture Romans would live vicariously through their lives. To many of the Plebeians Caesar was a great hero so when the senate killed him the balance of power was also destroyed. This lead to a huge confusion of the masses that then sparked extreme hatred for the senate. All of this chaos is create the Roman civil war.  Realizing that the people needed leader the two leaders of the conflict, Antony and Octavian fought it out in many physical and verbal conflicts. This split of power left the people hungry for more and Augustus ultimately realized that a Republic could no longer satisfy Rome’s desire for the individual and Rome became an empire again.

The intent of the murder of Julius Caesar was to prevent the fall of the republic. However Rome could never keep thee republic. It is simply unrealistic to expect a civilization based on the individual to be based on the decisions of many. A Roman Empire was inevitable, but the trust between the people and state crumbled when Julius Caesar’s body hit the floor.

Comp civ

A.

1. Pantheon
2. Constantine
3. Rape of the Sabine women.
4.Colseum
5.Constatinople
6a.Constantine
6b.Constantine
7. Jesus
8a. Constantine
9a. Crassus
10. Stoicism

The coliseum is significant in understanding roman culture. The lavish entertainment such as gladiator battles which took place inside of it reflect how open they were to blood sports and violence in general. The coliseum was absolutely colossal, holding up to 50,000 people, which shows how populated Rome was. It is also a testament to roman work ethic showing us how committed they could be to a task

Stoicism was important to Rome because it provided an alternative to Roman philosophic values. Similar to Taoism in China Stoicism provides an counterpoint to the rigid and rule based religion that surrounds them. These spiritual or philosophic values begin to develop or emerge when the people want them to, showing us that there was dissatisfaction in the roman empire. However stoicism never became a major philosophy because it was tailored primarily for the patrician class. The plebeians often never had the time to think about changing their values, and if they did they would want to hold philosophic values which stated that there is an upside to being poor.

The Statue portraying the rape of the Sabine women is key to understand early roman values. On the surface its beautiful dissonance shows us the value of art in roman society. The sculpture also shows us that women were often objectified in roman society, and played little part other than being trophies or baby makers. It reflects the roman values of the strong should overtaking the weak when they get the chance, "Carpe Diem". 

a.Hannibal
b.Crassus
c.Livia
d.Pompey
e.Vercingetorix
f.Alaric

C.
a. The Punic wars could have completely changed Rome as we know it. Hannibal had the chance to conquer more but for some reason didn't. The massive battles between Carthage and Rome showed us how devoted Rome was to its military. The Punic Wars also act as an incredible canvas for works of fiction.


b. Antony and Cleopatra were significant in understanding the fall of Rome. Historically Antony's attempts to follow Ceaser footsteps ultimately lead to the downfall of Rome. Antony's worship of Cleopatra was looked down upon by the patricians which lead to dissatisfaction with the people. Antony and Cleopatra has also provided a base of many works as fiction which is ofter interpreted as fact by the viewers, skewing our view of Rome.

c. The roman political system was comprised of three primary bodies of government. The Consuls are generally though of at the top of roman politics. There were two of them, and they often attempted to change Rome in one way or another, however they were often stop by the other consul.The senate was a large body of people which represented patrician values. They also often tried to pass bills and legislature but often were stopped internally or by the consuls or the Tribune. The Tribune was a body of people who represented the plebeians, they could veto decisions made by the consul or senate. Not much happened in Roman politics because there was to many layers of government to get through. The only time a significant bill or legislature would pass if corruption occurred, which occurred frequently.

Test Essay. Question 3

Does the history of world civilizations suggest slavery and oppression coexist with the greatest achievements of humankind through the ages, and can we escape this paradigm today?

     Most would say that slaves were vital throughout history, that it is simply unrealistic to think that the Great Wall, the Great Pyramids of Giza, or the Taj Mahal could have been built if they were without the use of slave labor. We often worship these architectural wonders, but we don't usually think about their origin. The few times when we do, we justify it with our lack of slave labor today. However, the fact is that slave labor is still a part of society, and as long as humankind wants to advance at a significant rate, we have to stick to methods of slavery and oppression.

      When I think of Egypt, my mind immediately jumps to the pyramids. These incredible tombs stretched as high as 146 feet, took up to 80 years to build, and used between 20,000-30,000 slaves. In contrast, the Aztecs and the Mayans built similar structures without the use of slave labor. How can we justify our society's preference for the pyramids? Because the pyramids were constructed 3000 years prior. While geographical position also played a part in Egypt’s rapid development, it is undeniable that the slaves were also significant.

      Slaves throughout history did not just increase architectural development. The use of slaves, especially from a foreign civilization, allows more of the population to fill key roles in society. As seen in the Neolithic revolution, the more freedom a civilization's population has over their roles, the faster it advances. China wouldn’t have its great philosophers, Rome wouldn’t have its great engineers, Islam wouldn’t have its scientists, and Greece wouldn’t have its artists without slaves. Slaves are the catalyst in the progress of society. Without them, we would recognize great civilizations that are completely different.

       Today we are still dependent on some kind of slave labor; almost everything we use today was made by slave or other extremely low-paying labor in third-world countries. From our computers to our clothes, from pyramids to bridges, everything requires labor. No one can escape the temptation of having something made for next to nothing. Morally, this is completely wrong, but who needs morals when we have cheap stuff?

      We don't need cheap stuff. Slavery has never been essential to a society. Great achievements might have taken longer, but as seen from the Aztecs and the Mayans it is absolutely unessential. We are at a turning pointing in history. We can continue a path of rapid development for humanity, or we can easily escape from slave labor in favor of human rights.

Art and war is what made Greece what it was. The two constantly influenced each other, as scene in Polycleitus’s statues and the beautiful and ornate armor that the hoplite wore. This combination of culture is what made Greece such an interesting civilization. Sparta and Athens really exemplifies this. At the surface they seem like complete opposites, but as we dig deeper we see how similar they really are.

What values do we think of Sparta having? Conformity, heroism, and scarifies comes to my mind. Athens often thought of being above these things, but the death of Socrates disproves this. Socrates, a great thinker spreading non-conformist ideas, a hero in many peoples mind, is sacrificed for the greater good to keep the conformity.

The structure of the government is often brought up while discussing Sparta and Athens. Sparta was an oligarchy, the two kings and five ephors leading an entire people. Athens was a democratic, but it also had nobles, aristocrats and appointed generals in their political system. Both systems also opposed a singular ruler, always having multiple people keeping each other in check.

Art is a form of war and war is a form of art. The parallels between them are everywhere and increase as time progressed.  We often view Athens and Sparta as polar opposites, rarely remembering that they are from the same civilization.

First test

Art is the reflection of the society that surrounds it. Ancient Greece and Roman art shows the embellishment of humanity, moving passed the tribal, created huge cities, and sought to pursue life to its fullest. God was man and man was god. Trades people were abundant, skillful, and excelled at creating goods for the wealthy. However a more advanced civilization isn’t necessarily a better one.

Until very recently, the worth of art has always been measured by the technical skill of the artist. Although a creative pursuit, the artist with the more fine brush strokes or detailed sculptured has been more valued (at least in western civilization). While the mask may represent a much deeper and spiritual idea it can be created by anyone with common things in a short period of time. Au contraire the Apollo is made from fine marble, and has take hundreds, if not thousands of man-house to create. We value hard work over creativity as an aspect in a society, and the appreciation of the statue over the mask is the perfect example of this.

Through the history of art each step towards realism is a step away from the rough, raw, and permittivity that the Paleolithic age had. The Lascaux caves gave a sense of permanence to an otherwise nomadic people, showing us that art played a part in there lives. The Neolithic revolutions progressed, and as people became more aware of where they were living, people became less satisfied. This dissatisfaction leads to the first great architectural developments like Stonehenge and the temples of Malta, with spirituality still in the forefront. Cities emerge, and the permanence of them allows art to be a full time career. The pursuit of beauty was everywhere to be seen in these cities. Incredible temples and architecture was abundant. But this wasn’t enough for humanity, and people wanted beauty for themselves. 

We live in a country obsessed with aesthetically pleasing things. Materialism is what fuels the majority of us everyday, knowing that if we work hard enough we can get new a pair of new shoes, or car, or house. The reason that the majority of us like the Apollo better is because the statue conceptually represents our society as a whole. The bright marble is rarer than common wood therefore better. It is more refined than the mask, showing us what we believe to be the perfect male form. The Apollo is achieving what almost every man wants in this society, to be looked at, admired, and wanted.  He has made it through the masses, and has become the fittest of those who have survived.

Civilization is a fickle term. When we define it we often risk the judgment of having an ethnocentric view of our world, like Clark or Carnegie. Art (among many other things) has made it obvious that Greek and Roman society is at a higher state of civilization than one from Native peoples. The statue is showing the human form with nothing to hide, whereas the intension of the mask is to hide the human form. However Greek and Roman civilization was not more civilized.