Free Essays on Renaissance Art

The ‘Age of Enlightenment’ is a term used to describe the trends in thought and letters in Europe and the American colonies during the 18th century, prior to the French Revolution of 1789-1799. The phrase was frequently employed by writers of the period itself, convinced that they were emerging from centuries of darkness and ignorance into a new age enlightened by reason, science, and a respect for humanity. Of the basic assumptions and beliefs common to philosophers and intellectuals of this period, perhaps the most important was an that of there faith in the power of human reason. People came to assume that through a primitive use of reason in progress, it would be possible to progress in knowledge, in technical achievement, and even in moral values. Although they saw the church as the principal force that had enslaved the human mind in the past, most Enlightenment thinkers did not renounce religion altogether. Many opted for a form of Deism, accepting the existence of God and of a hereafter, but rejecting the teachings of Christian theology. They also felt that human life should be spent on improvement. More than a set of -1- Trevino #2 fixed ideas, the Enlightenment implied an attitude and a method of thought. During the first half of the 18th century, the leaders of the Enlightenment waged an uphill struggle against considerable odds. Several were imprisoned for their writings, and most were hampered by government censorship and attacks by the church. The later decades of the century marked a triumph of the movement in Europe and America. The enormous increase in the publication of newspapers and books ensured a wide diffusion of new ideas. Thus in the end seeing that the age of enlightenment was... Free Essays on Renaissance Art Free Essays on Renaissance Art The ‘Age of Enlightenment’ is a term used to describe the trends in thought and letters in Europe and the American colonies during the 18th century, prior to the French Revolution of 1789-1799. The phrase was frequently employed by writers of the period itself, convinced that they were emerging from centuries of darkness and ignorance into a new age enlightened by reason, science, and a respect for humanity. Of the basic assumptions and beliefs common to philosophers and intellectuals of this period, perhaps the most important was an that of there faith in the power of human reason. People came to assume that through a primitive use of reason in progress, it would be possible to progress in knowledge, in technical achievement, and even in moral values. Although they saw the church as the principal force that had enslaved the human mind in the past, most Enlightenment thinkers did not renounce religion altogether. Many opted for a form of Deism, accepting the existence of God and of a hereafter, but rejecting the teachings of Christian theology. They also felt that human life should be spent on improvement. More than a set of -1- Trevino #2 fixed ideas, the Enlightenment implied an attitude and a method of thought. During the first half of the 18th century, the leaders of the Enlightenment waged an uphill struggle against considerable odds. Several were imprisoned for their writings, and most were hampered by government censorship and attacks by the church. The later decades of the century marked a triumph of the movement in Europe and America. The enormous increase in the publication of newspapers and books ensured a wide diffusion of new ideas. Thus in the end seeing that the age of enlightenment was... Free Essays on Renaissance Art Renaissance Art The Renaissance, or "rebirth" in italy began in the late 14th century and lasted until the early 16th century. Many acient ideas were rediscovered in areas such as philosophy, literature, and science. People became became increasinly aware of classical knowledge and therefore resolved to learn by direct observation and study of the natural world. As a result, religious themes became increasingly important to artists, and with the revived interest in ancient ideas came a new variety of subjects which came from Greek and Roman history and mythology. The examples provided by acient buildings and works of art also inspired the development of new techniques in art and the desire to re-create the forms and styles of art that had existed in the classical age. There were many artists in this time and the work they did was genius. Leonardo who is considered the ideal Renaissance thinker, engaged as he was in experiments of all kinds and having brought to his art a spirit of restless inquiry that sought to discover the laws governing diverse natural phenomena. Leonardo's works included the Adoration of the Magi and The Last Supper. Michelangelo who has come to represent the artist endowed with mysterious solitary genius. His universal talents are shown by the tomb of Julius II, The Medici Chapel, The Sistine Chapel and The Last Judgement. Therefore efforts were made to discover the correct laws of proportion for architecture and for the representation of the human body and to organize the creation of space in a picture. Although these artists were very observant of natural phenomena, they also tended to invent general rules from specific observations. They made an effort to go beyond direct translation of nature into laws, and decided to give the word of art some ideal, intangible qualities, establishing a beauty and signifigance great...

What Does It Mean to Be Partisan

What Does It Mean to Be Partisan If youre a  partisan, it means you  adhere firmly to a political party, faction, idea or cause. You  likely live in a bright red or dark blue district or state. You  exhibit blind, prejudiced, and unreasoning allegiance and never speak ill of another member of your tribe, according to the standard Merriam-Webster definition. Being a partisan is  the opposite of being a swing voter or independent in politics. To put it bluntly, being a partisan isnt a good thing. So. How can you tell if youre a partisan? Here are five traits. 1. You Cant Talk Politics Without Getting Angry If you cant talk politics with people and still stay friends, youre a partisan. There are no two ways about it. If you cant talk politics without the conversation ending in bruised egos and hurt feelings, youre a partisan. If you cant see the other side of an issue and storm off abruptly from the dinner table, youre a partisan. Seek your inner peace. And understand this: Youre not right about everything. No one is. A synonym of partisan is ideologue. If youre an ideologue, it means youre an adherent to a rigid ideology. You dont like compromise.  And youre probably difficult to talk to.   2. You Vote the Straight Party Line If you show up to the voting booth without doing your homework and pull the lever for the straight-party ticket every time, youre a partisan. In fact, you match the definition of a partisan to the T: someone who exhibits blind, prejudiced, and unreasoning allegiance to a political party. If you dont want to be a partisan, heres a handy guide to everything you need to know to prepare for Election Day. Hint: Vote for the best candidate, not the party. 3. You Watch MSNBC or FOX News Theres nothing wrong with watching MSNBC or FOX News. But lets call it what it is: Youre choosing a source of news and information that supports your world view. If you lean lift, youre probably watching Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. And only MSNBC. If you tilt to the right, youre tuning in to Sean Hannity and FOX, and tuned out the rest. And, yes, if you do this youre a partisan. 4. You Chair a Political Party OK. To be fair, it is some peoples job to be partisan. And those people happen to be working in the political arena. That is, the parties themselves. If youre the chairman of the Republican National Committee or the GOP organization in your hometown, it is function to be a partisan. Thats why you have the job: to support your partys candidates and get them elected. Stated President Harry Truman: There was never a non-partisan in politics. A man cannot be a non-partisan and be effective in a political party. When hes in any party hes partisan. Hes got to be.   5. You Violate the Hatch Act Lets hope things dont get this bad. But if youre a government employee and youre found to have violated the federal Hatch Act, youre behaving as a partisan would behave. The Hatch Act of 1939  placed limits on the political activity of executive branch employees of the federal government, District of Columbia government, and some state and local employees who work in connection with federally funded programs. The law is intended to prohibit taxpayer-supported resources from being used in partisan campaigns; it is also intended to protect civil service employees from partisan pressures from political appointee managers. What does that mean? Well, lets say you work for an agency that is funding at least in part by the federal government. Under the Hatch Act you cant campaign for office or engage in any similar political behavior. Youve got to quit your job first. The federal government doesnt like allocating taxpayer money to agencies whose workers are behaving as partisans. In Defense of Parties and Partisanship Partisanship is the fundamental behavior that allows the two-party system to remain in place in the U.S. And the existence of parties, according to some astute political philosophers, are vital.   The philosopher and political economic John Stuart Mill, writing in On Liberty,  defended partisanship: A party of order or stability, and a party of progress or reform, are both necessary elements of a healthy state of political life.† The economist Graham Wallas also described parties favorably. Something is required simpler and more permanent, something which can be loved and trusted, and which can be recognized at successive elections as being the same thing that was loved and trusted before; and a party is such a thing. And  Moisà ©s Naà ­m, a distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has written about the need for permanent organizations that earn political power and govern, that are forced to articulate disparate interests and viewpoints, that can recruit and develop future government leaders and that monitor those already in power. Nonpartisan, Bi-Partisan and Post-Partisan Definitions There are a couple of antonyms to the word partisan, and a relatively new term - post-partisan. What do they all mean? Nonpartisan: This  term describes the behavior of political figures who may belong to disparate factions and parties when they work together on nonpolitical issues, such as raising money for charity or helping with some civic issue in their home state. Bipartisan: This term describes the behavior of elected officials or citizens who otherwise disagree on policy issues and belong to disparate factions or parties when they work together toward a common political goal. Bipartisanship is rare on major issues in modern American politics.  Ã‚   Postpartisan: This term, which has come into wide use since President Barack Obamas election in 2008, describes the work of Republicans and Democrats to reach compromise on policy issue without abandoning ties to party or principals. Post-partisanship has its roots in President Thomas Jeffersons inaugural speech: Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists, he said. Obama, a Democrat running for president in 2008, promised to deliver such a postpartisan presidency by embracing Republicans and independents. His remarks resonated among the electorate. I think that there are a whole host of Republicans, and certainly independents, who have lost trust in their government, who dont believe anybody is listening to them, who are staggering under rising costs of health care, college education, dont believe what politicians say. And we can draw those independents and some Republicans into a working coalition, a working majority for change, Obama said. [Edited by Tom Murse]