Thursday, January 30, 2020
The Renaissance Period Essay Example for Free
The Renaissance Period Essay The period in time referred to as the Renaissance started in the late 1300s and existed through the 1500s. The term translates into rebirth, and describes the process of intellectual and cultural change that began in northern Italy and eventually made its way to countries lying further north. In this era, Christianity began to evolve and branch into different directions, weakening the power of the church and allowing the disciplines of philosophy and science the freedom to take new routes encouraging scientific observation as opposed to blind faith, or reasoning (Gaardner 197, 202).            These changes in Christianity, philosophy and science brought about the new ideas of renaissance humanism. When the author says, We speak of renaissance humanism, since now after the Dark Ages in which every aspect of life was seen through divine light, everything once again revolved around man., he is explaining how man has come to see himself in a new light. In the Dark Ages man viewed himself simply as a pitiful servant to God, unworthy of any form of greatness. During the Renaissance, man saw himself not as a servant to God, but as an integral and more importantly, unique part of God and his greatness. Man began to believe that God existed everywhere and in everything, including himself, and so man could now celebrate himself and his individual achievements, which became the basis of the new world view (Gaardner 197, 201).            The new world view consists mainly of two things: the way man viewed himself, and the way he viewed his surroundings. As previously stated, man viewed himself in a much higher light than in the previous era. He now also had a new view of nature. Previously, the world had only been looked at as a place of preparation for the hereafter, but now it was looked at as a place to investigate and explore. There was an exciting environment of freedom and exploration. Many people of the time were very aware that they were living in a special, exciting era of intellectual and cultural growth, and they wanted to play an active role in it. This led to huge advancements in all areas from the arts to the sciences, and to the ideal of the Renaissance man, the desire to be knowledgeable in all of these areas (Gaardner 200, 201).            There were three main technological developments that were necessary for the Renaissance era to come to life. The compass, which made navigation simpler and encouraged the exploration of new lands, accrual of new observations, and information; firearms, which gave the Europeans military power and made exploring the new lands safer, allowing them to easily overcome any native populations; and most importantly, the printing press, which allowed people greater access to all forms of information, promoting curiosity in the common person and encouraging the desire to know more, to explore, and to ask questions about their surroundings. The printing press also took away the authority of the church as the only source of written knowledge. All three of these developments came together to contribute to the spreading of the new world view over long distances, encouraging the growth of the Renaissance movement and its ideals (Gaardner 198).            The transition from a subsistence economy to a monetary economy also played a large role in the formation of the Renaissance era. The difference between the Renaissance economy and the economy in the Middle Ages was the formation of a large middle class. The formation of the middle class occurred during this time because at the end of the Middle Ages, large cities were fully developed, encouraging the growth of trade and commerce. A monetary economy with banking systems soon followed and the middle class was born, with people having the luxury to be able to buy the things that they needed or wanted. This type of system encouraged people to work harder and smarter, as opposed to feudalism, where working harder would not reap any personal benefits. As the author puts it, This state of affairs rewarded peoples diligence, imagination, and ingenuity. New demands were made on the individual. This statement reflects the trademarks of individualism, experimentation and exploration that are present in the ideals of the Renaissance era (Gaardner 199).            Another way that the printing press contributed to the Renaissance was by allowing the Bible to be translated and printed in different languages. Prior to this, in the Catholic church, only priests and monks read the Bible, because it was only available in Latin. Once it was translated and printed, an individual could read it for himself, and interpret what it said in his own way. This led to an emphasis on an individuals personal relationship with God, and less of an emphasis on a persons relationship with his spiritual leaders. Eventually, it would lead to the Reformation (Gaardner 212).            The author speaks of a new religiosity that developed during the Renaissance. He is referring to the fact that thoughts on God in his relation to the individual changed dramatically. Prior to the Renaissance, there was a belief that the priest was the only person who truly had a special relationship with God, so therefore it was entirely necessary for an individual to seek forgiveness from God through the priest. God was the only gateway to paradise, and the priest was the only gateway to God. Once the Renaissance was in progress, with its newly found importance of the individual and the ability of the common person to read and interpret the Bible for himself, people began to feel that it was possible to have their own personal relationship with God with or without the involvement of the church, which is a view that is still extremely popular today. This view was put forth by Martin Luther, one of the important contributors to the Reformation of the church during the Renaissance (Gaardner 212-213).            Many of the new views on religion during the Renaissance were prompted by advancements in science. A new scientific method was developed during the Renaissance, and formed the basis for all of the technological and scientific advances that have been achieved from that point onward. The new method incorporated using your own senses and experiences to observe phenomena during experimentation. Two of the most important scientists of this time, in my opinion, were Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton (Gaardner 202).            Galiliei formulated the Law of Inertia, which states that a body in motion or at rest remains in that state until an external force causes it to change. Galilei set up a simple experiment to observe what would happen when two forces acted on an object simultaneously. Through his observations, he found that despite what was commonly thought, an object that had been propelled into the air would follow a parabola-shaped trajectory. This would occur due to the forward force of the propulsion of the object, combined with the force of gravity pulling the object down towards the earth (Gaardner 205-208).            Newton used his own observations to formulate the Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that every object attracts every other object with a force that increases in proportion to the size of the objects, and decreases in proportion to the distance between the objects. He used his newly formulated law in conjunction with Galileis previously stated law and observations to explain exactly why the planets traveled in elliptical orbits around the sun. It is the result of two forces acting on an object simultaneously: linear movement from the force applied to the planets during the birth of the solar system, combined with the movement towards the sun due to its gravitational pull. The combination of these two forces, as Galilei previously stated, is what creates the elliptical movement. Newton was able to show that the same laws applied to every heavenly body in the universe, thereby proving that there was not a special set of laws that applied to the heavens, and a separate set of laws for the earth. This caused the people of the time to begin to question exactly what their place was in the universe(Gaardner 209-211).            To this day, we are still making discoveries that lead people to question what their place is in the universe, and if their belief in God is logical or not. Scientists have made and are constantly on the verge of making some huge, definitely stunning advancements, and it inevitably causes people to further question what their place is in respect to the world, the universe and in God. For example, the issues of stem cell research, cloning, and the manipulation of genes are all very controversial at this time, because people are forced to see that man has the ability to create life in a lab, and that he can go on to guide life in almost any direction he may choose, he can play God, as many people say. My own opinion on science is that it is something that must move forward. There is no reason to fear science. When I analyze each of the topics mentioned above, I can not think of any logical reasons why we should not proceed experimenting with them. They are simply processes that occur naturally already, we are only directing them to proceed in a manner that will be as beneficial to us as possible. As far as what this means for religion, faith will always be what it has always been faith. True faith is unshakeable, as mentioned by Gaardner in respect to Isaac Newtons belief that his findings only supported proof of the existence of of the great and almighty God (212). Who is to say that all of these magnificent discoveries and the intricacies on which they are based are not guided by the hand of God?            As to the question of our own age that we are living in, I think that in many aspects it is very similar to the Renaissance era. There is definitely a strong belief in the importance of the individual, so much to the point that I think you could say there is a strong trend towards selfishness and indifference. I think this has been reflected especially in the area of the family unit, with the high rates of divorce and single parent homes. People no longer base their life decisions on what will be best for the family unit, but what will make me happy.            There is also a similarity in that many people no longer feel the need to involve the church in their relationship with God. While most people still have a strong faith in God, or some form of Creator, church attendance has reached record lows. Some people believe that science has become the new religion, but I think that mankind will always feel the need to believe that he will somehow be allowed to continue on, as death seems much too simple of an ending to the elaborate design of a human being and the world around him.            Despite our many similarities to the Renaissance, I think that our era can be defined as the Age of Technology. I believe this era began with the inventions of the computer and the internet. Like the printing press during the Renaissance, these two developments allow the rapid dissemination of information across vast distances. The discovery of these systems has revolutionized every area of science, allowing information to be rapidly computed and shared. I think that we are still in the very infantile stages of the Age of Technology, and we can only wonder what developments will arise by the time a new age begins. Works Cited Gaardner, Jostein. Sophies World (188-215).
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Madeleine Neveus Epistle To My Daughter :: Neveu Epistle Daughter Essays
Madeleine Neveu's "Epistle To My Daughter" Madeleine Neveu eloquently gives words of wisdom to her daughter Catherine in her piece entitled, "Epistle to My Daughter." Madeleine is quite aware of the attitude surrounding educated women in her time period. Yet, she abandons those opinions to express her own for her daughter. Her epistle embraces the need for a woman to be true to herself and to stand on her own two feet, as opposed to relying on a man to hold her up. Madeleine’s epistle is quite straightforward. Her message to her daughter is very sincere. She starts her epistle by referring to traditional views on how one should live their life. "Ancient lovers of learning, / Said that to God one must do one’s duty, / Then to one’s country, and a third to one’s lineage" (ll.1-3). But Madeleine is quick to refute those opinions. She then states that while she does honor God, she is completely helpless when it comes to public service affairs on the other hand because men have all the power. "I revere the Lord God; as for my country, I lack all power, / Men have full authority" (ll. 7-8). It is here that Madeleine refers to the Salic Law, the law that excludes women from the throne. But Madeleine’s duty to her "lineage" or daughter is taken much more seriously. Since Madeleine has no control over Salic Law, she takes control of the matters she has a say in. Her daughter is under her control. She feels the need to provide the best life for her daughter as possible. And thus she writes this piece as a guide for her. After Madeline refutes the ideas of the old, she presents ideas for the future. The piece seems to pause just before she focuses solely on her daughter. The tone of the first nine lines is snobbish almost. Madeleine seems to be raising her nose to ideas of the old. But as she begins to focus on her daughter, the tone changes. The snobbish tone becomes softer, gentler, as if she’s raising her daughter’s chin to meet her gaze and speak to her: But as concerns you, my daughter, who are so dear to me / I would be liable to great blame and reproach / If I were to lead you on the beaten path, / Seeing that your heart is born into virtue.
Monday, January 13, 2020
Decision to breastfeed is a very personal Essay
Breastfeeding topic always elicits strong opinions from family and friends. What matters is the infant getting proper nutrition for his optimal growth and development. The American college of Obstetricians and Gynecologist and American Academy of Pediatrics, to great emphasis on importance of breastfeeding. Every infant and mother is unique and has different challenges. Breast milk provides complete nutrition for infants. It has the perfect combination of protein, vitamins, fats and everything infants needs for its growth and development. Breast milk also contains antibodies that help infants fight off bacteria and viruses. Risk of having allergies and asthma are greatly reduced with breastfeeding. Infants who are exclusively breastfed for the first six months, without any formula tend to have fewer respiratory illnesses, ear infection and bouts of diarrhea. These infants also have fewer trips to the doctor and hospitalizations. Breastfeeding also results in higher IQ scores in some studies. The physical touch, closeness, skin-to-skin touch and eye contact, helps infants to bond with the mother and feel secure. Breastfeeding also linked to health weight gain in infants and fight childhood obesity. As per American Academy of Pediatrics, sudden infant death syndrome, risk of diabetes, obesity and certain cancers can be prevented by breastfeeding. Educating the new mother regarding breastfeeding is imperative, to make sure proper nutriment of the infant. Breastfeeding education starts with finding out the mother’s current knowledge and perception towards breastfeeding. Once finding out the mother perception and knowledge about breastfeeding. After educating the mother regarding benefits of breast feeding to infants. Nurses should first have to address the most common concerns of new mothers like: * Weight gain – Breastfeeding burns extra calories and helps lose pregnancy weight faster. It releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps return uterus to its original size and reduces uterine bleeding. * Expenses – Breastfeeding can help save money by not needing to buy formula, rubber nipples and other formula related things. * Sore nipples – It is normal to have sore nipples. Make sure baby latches on correctly and use one finger to break the suction of your baby’s mouth after each feeding. Holding ice or frozen bags of peas against sore nipples can also help ease discomfort. * Not producing enough milk – A general rule of thumb is infants wetting six to eight diapers a day is getting enough milk. Breast size does not have to do anything with milk production. Plenty of sleep, good nutrition and proper hydration helps body to produce more milk * Storing and pumping milk – Milk can be expressed by hand or pumped with a breast pump. Breast milk can be safely can be used with 2 days if stored in refrigerator. Frozen breast milk can be stored for 3 months. Thaw frozen milk in warm water or refrigerator. Do not use microwave oven to heat breast milk. * Breast engorgement – Breast engorgement is healthy and natural. It happens when breast become full of milk, it could also mean blood vessels in breast have become congested, difference between two is, in normal breast stays soft and pliable. * Mastitis – Is an infection of the breast caused by bacteria which enters the breast through a cracked nipple after breastfeeding. Antibiotics are usually needed to clear up a breast infection. Call the doctor if flu-like symptoms, fever and fatigue are noticed. * Stress – Feeling overwhelmed during breastfeeding is normal. Being overly stressed or anxious can interfere with your let down reflex, that’s body natural release of milk into milk ducts. Staying as calm and relaxed as possible before and during nursing can help milk let down and flow more easily, that in turns helps infant to be calm and relaxed and increases emotional bonding.
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Julian Abele
Julian Abele (born April 29, 1881 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, according to the University of Pennsylvania University Archives and Records Center) is best known in Durham, North Carolina as the architect of the Duke University campus. The story of Julian Francis Abele is not rags-to-riches but a tale of hard work and dedication. In college Abele called himself Willing and Able. A brilliant and accomplished student, Abele became the first Black graduate of the University of Pennsylvanias School of Architecture. Although not Americas first architect of color, Julian Abele was one of the first prominent Black architects in America, finding success with the Philadelphia architecture firm led by Horace Trumbauer. The Duke University Chapel may be Abeles most famous building. Died: April 23, 1950 in Philadelphia Education, Training, and Professional Life: Institute for Colored Youth and Brown Preparatory School, Philadelphia1898: Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art1902: B.A. in Arch. - University of Pennsylvania1902-1903: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; worked for Philadelphia architect Louis C. Hickman while in school1903-1905: traveled to Western US, worked on a house for his sisters family, Elizabeth Rebecca Abele Cookcirca 1905: three years of travel in Europe and study in France1906: began work for Horace Trumbauer; became chief designer in 1909 until Trumbauers death in 1938. The Office of Horace Trumbauer continued under the leadership of its principals, Julian Abele and William O. Frank1942: Admitted to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Notable Buildings as Trumbauers Chief Designer: 1909-1912: James Buchanan Duke House, New York Cityc. 1912: Frank P. Mitchell house (Argentine Embassy), Washington, DC1915: Miramar (The George D. Widener Cottage), Newport, RI1915: Widener Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA1921: Whitemarsh Hall, Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania1925: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA1927: Central Library, Free Library of Philadelphia, PA1928: James B. Clews Residence, Long Island, NY1930: Perkins Library, Duke University West Campus, Durham, North Carolina1935: Duke University Chapel, West Campus, Durham, North Carolina1938: Duke University Dormitories, West Campus, Durham, NC1940: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University West Campus, Durham, NC At the turn of the twentieth century, many American architects made a good living building Great Homes of the Gilded Age. Horace Trumbauers commission to build a New York City estate for tobacco tycoon James B. Duke really paid off with the much larger projects at Duke University, where Julian Abele made his mark in architecture. Personal Life: 1925: Married to Marguerite Bulle, a French musician; three children, Julian, Jr., Marguerite Marie (died in childhood), and Nadia Boulanger. The marriage dissolved by 1936 when the younger Marguerite became involved with another musician. They never divorced.Julian, Jr. and Abeles sisters child, Julian Abele Cook (1904 - 1986), both became architects Duke University Architecture: In 1892 Trinity College moved 70 miles east to Durham, North Carolina and the Duke family began funding campus building. By 1924, the Duke Endowment was established and Trinity College transformed into Duke University. The original East Campus was renovated with Georgian-style buildings, after the Collegiate Georgian Architecture popular at other universities. Beginning in 1927 a West Campus was added, built in a Gothic-revival architectural style also popular at large, established Ivy League institutions. Architecture was used to bring students, faculty, and prestige to the new Duke institution  if it looked like a university, it must be one. The Philadelphia architecture firm led by Horace Trumbauer began the transformation of Trinity into Duke. Trumbauers head designer Julian Abele, along with William O. Frank, tackled the Duke projects from 1924 to 1958. The pià ¨ce de rà ©sistance of Abeles designs is the iconic Duke Chapel, which became the centerpiece of the West Campus. Collegiate Gothic style is a revival of 12th century Gothic architecture, with soaring ceilings, pointed arches, and flying buttresses. For Dukes Chapel, begun in 1930, Abele employed modern building techniques and materials to eliminate the need to buttress the walls. Steel trusses and structural Guastavino ceramic tile gave strength to the 210 foot structure, while local volcanic Hillsborough bluestone distinguished the distinctive facade of the neo-Gothic design. The Chapel tower, modeled after Englands Canterbury Cathedral, became a prototype for many of the future towers of Duke University. Olmsted landscape architects, from the prestigious firm founded by Frederick Law Olmsted, were employed to create a walkable campus, connecting the architecture with the surrounding natural beauty. If the intent of Duke was to rival the great universities of the northeast, this twentieth century campus, designed in part by a prominent Black architect, accomplished the task. In the Words of Julian Abele: The shadows are all mine.  commenting on the unsigned architectural drawings for the Gothic Revival Duke University Chapel, Duke University Archives Learn More: Out of the Shadows by Susan E. Tifft, Smithsonian Magazine, February 2005Philadelphia Area Architecture of Horace Trumbauer (Images of America) by Rachel Hildebrandt and the Old York Road Historical Society, 2009American Splendor: The Residential Architecture of Horace Trumbauer by Michael C. Kathrens, rev. 2012Duke University: An Architectural Tour by John M. Bryan, 2000Duke University: An Architectural Tour (The Campus Guide) by Ken Friedlein and John Pearce, 2015Friends of Julian Abele Park, Philadelphia, PA Sources: Penn Biographies, University of Pennsylvania University Archives and Records Center; Julian F. Abele, Architect, Free Library of Philadelphia; Biography and Projects from the American Architects and Buildings database, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia; Dukes Architecture, Office of the University Architect, Duke University; Black U.S. Architect Designed a Bond with Argentina, IIP Digital, Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State; Frank P. Mitchell House, African American Historic Places Database, National Trust for Historic Preservation; History, The Building at http://chapel.duke.edu/history/building, Duke University Chapel. Websites accessed April 3-4, 2014.
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